mauRICE

Errr...I thought you were supposed to be in-between. 😏

I wouldn't call that an upgrade. 😉

It's closed and has got very mixed reviews.

Oh nooo. To quote your esteemed self, "Life's too short." 😂🤣😅

And the mirror cracked? Out flew the web and floated wide— The mirror crack'd from side to side; "The curse is come upon me," cried The Lady of Shalott. Oh for heaven's sake, go look it up. 🙄

So you're just old? 😅 Sorry, just mucking around. Do you speak Thai @Patanawet? 27 years is a very long time. The oldest farang I've met in Thailand was 92 years old. Gay, lived alone and very independent. He was a fountain of knowledge and very easy talk to; what I liked about him was his humility in not needing to be right all the time or show off everything he knew, unlike so many other farang one meets in Thailand. That was ten years ago and I hope he's well if he still walks this Earth.

Ohh? 🤔 I thought you had gotten the lay of the land, repeatedly, and that's what prompting this whirlwind move to Cambodia. 😏

Well, who needs Sydneysiders when you've got an entire Irish football team waiting for you in Pattaya... ...where you don't have to be fucking offended...only fucking.

Bars open and close in the complex and there'll always be room for a new one. Things seem to be on a high at the moment because of the two recently concluded Pride events but according to one owner of a popular bar and several bar workers, actual sales haven't really improved much from the previous two months. I have only praises for Jomtien Pride Night but I felt that ambushing the eventual winner Apex in the sexy underwear contest with those awful fake fluffy garlands in the middle of his catwalk was in bad form. I guess it's a farang thing? 🤷 Apex had been given the sweet final spot and should have been allowed to finish his walk and only be presented with the garlands as he stepped off the podium at the end of his walk. As it happened, he could barely walk with all those garlands covering his beautiful body and face. Moreover, you wouldn't want to discourage the other contestants and would want to avoid any appearance of impropriety or rigging. Don't get me wrong; Apex was my favourite too but I felt that the whole segment could have been better executed. In the many male pageants that I've attended all over Thailand, the contestants were presented with beautiful roses, and the organisers ensured that every contestant received at least one to prevent any loss of face. Of course, the popular ones received more from members of the audience. Another minor gripe was seeing a few corpulent farang sauntering across the rainbow carpet as the contest was in progress. Couldn't they have walked a bit faster, waited or taken another route? Mai pen rai. As I said earlier, Pattaya is an aberration and that's okay.

By keeping away from the native Indians with machetes.

Ohh what a beautiful ending to a sad story. Is that who he lives with when you're back in the UK?

Your retirement visa doesn't allow you to work, does it? I'm quite sure "mama-san" isn't an exception. 🤣😅 Alex is even cuter in person and has got a nice way about him. And to quote that late great literary mistress Jackie Collins - a "respectable bulge". 😉

Thanks for taking the time to reply, Jim. So, in summary, your only connection to Cambodia is an emotional one to Cam. I wish you all the best in your new adventure. ✌️🫶

I admit that I only skim through trip reports and may have missed it but am I reading this right, that you've never been to Cambodia and planning to move and retire there? Have you got any friends there other than Cam? Prior to meeting him did you have any particular affinity for Khmer culture for eg from meeting Khmers in the States? Have you eaten Khmer food before? Again, pardon me if I've got this wrong, but I remember you saying that you moved from LA to Denver so that you could be closer to your sister and help take care of each other. I'm assuming this plan has changed. No need to respond to any of my questions if you feel it's none of my business (and indeed it isn't) but all this seems so sudden and a huge turnabout from just a few months ago.

It's roughly between 15 and 25, if I'm not mistaken.

Sadly, many of the Thai guys I've known over the past 22 years in the Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Pattaya gay scenes have passed away and the above clip brought a tear to my eye. These guys grew up poor and without proper nutrition which in turn affected their physical and mental development and their bodies' ability to cope with the diseases and the heavy party lifestyle which they eventually encountered. One was given rice water as a baby as his family couldn't afford formula. They didn't go to the doctor when they were sick either due to lack of resources, fear or ignorance, and by the time a medical condition was discovered, it was often too late. It breaks my heart as quite a few of them were of my generation. 😔

So what's your excuse even though you live in Sydney? 😏

I was there only a month ago but made a whirlwind trip for the Pride event as the lovely boys from Sunee Intimate, M2M and Red Room bars had made me promise that I would come. It's funny; I'm not normally drawn to skinny fem guys but I found the Sunee guys sexy maybe because I find work sexy and these guys had worked very hard indeed. In fact all of them had from what I saw last weekend in Supertown - a refreshing change from the all-too-familiar "I want something for nothing" attitude that has become too prevalent at the so-called gay venues in Thailand. The guys were twerking, twisting, thrusting, bending and flapping so vigorously that I was worried some of their limbs would snap. 😅 I agree that the event should have attracted a bigger crowd and it's a pity because I feel Jomtien Complex is underused even though its location, generous space and layout are excellent. It's a far cry from the shanty shacks of the dubious Sunee Plaza and it's got a lot more breathing space than Pattayaland Soi 3. Sadly, July has traditionally been low season in Thailand and understandably not many international tourists would fly in for just one day of festivities. As for the gaynizens from Bangkok and Pattaya, well as a seasoned Thai friend who's been on the scene for a long time put it: "They're jaded and have become too cynical, critical, fussy and difficult to please and expect Dom Perignon for the price of Mont Clair! They're always complaining about how things have changed from 30 years ago but forget that there is now a new generation of guys working with different styles, tastes and cultural influences. Nothing is the same in entertainment compared to 30 years ago and the farang themselves are three decades older but they forget that!" Aint that the truth, I thought. 😅 Lastly, I would like to add a hearty congratulations and give a big squeeze to the lovely Apex of Red Room Bar for winning the popular vote and sexy underwear contest. And many thanks to the adorable JR and his team at Sunee, the large and very talented M2M crew, Red Room Bar for their hospitality and everyone responsible for organising and running the Pride event which I thought was a great success and totally worth my whirlwind trip. See you guys again in December! 🫶

Yes, it was but it doesn't mean that the fun you had wasn't real. Think of it as going to a magic show; you know the magician is performing tricks but you had fun watching, guessing, wondering and participating...and before you know it, abra cadabra your money is gone too. 🤣 However, when you start to believe what the magician is doing is real, that's when the illusion becomes a delusion. 😉

No toys to play with?

The cremation ceremony of HM Queen Sirikit, the late Queen Mother is tentatively slated for the end of October. I don't think the date has been announced yet. The evening before the funeral and the day itself may be no-alcohol days but we'll only know for sure closer to the event. Expect major roads to be closed for rehearsals and the actual cortege on those two days. Security will be tight.

😂🤣😅 Have you been to Thai temples lately and seen how the locals dress and behave? The monks? 🤦 I think you need a new guidebook written by a "knowledgeable" farang.

It was mostly fem boys sashaying stylishly down the rainbow runway in Aussiebum underwear from what I saw, one of whom wore Cinderella glass slippers. Glad to see loud and proud gay guys participating in a Pride event instead of hired straight guns.

😮 Please remember that you're not in Kansas or Denver anymore and forgive them for trying to do their job. I hope you acknowledged their "annoying" presence in some other way for eg stopping to chat with them once in a while or even buying them biscuits and canned coffee from the 7E to show your appreciation (if it's not forbidden by management). These guys make a pittance but they shoulder a heavy responsibility. They get all the blame if something goes wrong and also have to manage some very difficult and entitled residents. That constant wai-ing (and in some cases saluting) that you find annoying is not only a gesture of politeness but an exercise to keep them alert and vigilant in what is a very boring and mundane job. That is why you also see many security guards smoke - because they're bored and it keeps them awake.