Min

@reader you got released yet?

To be honest, I sometimes asked myself "Why I invested so much of my time and effort into this (not to mention money). Who's the paying customer here? Ain't I supposed to just lie down, enjoy the service and then pay?" The answer simply is ""cuz I'm happy when I'm doing it" Anyway, yesterday, I asked to pay J.'s off fees for 8 days in a row for travelling purposes (300B per day), and the bar gave me a discount. Instead of 2400, I ended up paying 1500. What a pleasant surprise Not sure if other bars have a similar policy, though.

A week ago, a customer offed both J. and his friend from his bar in JC to continue partying in Boyztown. About 10 minutes after he arrived, J. sent me a message "I'm going back. I don't like it here". My first thought was: the customer forced J. to do something he didn't want? Should I be alarmed? I sent him a message, asking what happened but got no response. 30 minutes later, when he's finally back to JC, it turned out the customer only took the two boys out to watch that erotic show in X-boys, whose sexually explicit content was offensive to J.. It looks like one year working in JC hasn't acclimatized him to this kind of stuff yet. That little incident probably gives you some clues. J. is hopeless traditional when it comes to sex. And by "traditional", I mean "farmer housewife traditional". Sex should only be carried out properly in the bedroom at night, with all the curtains down and lights mostly out (I once tried it in the bathtub, he seemed to enjoy it but was reluctant to do it again). Something like rimming would be unthinkable. For some reasons, he also came up with a "no more than one f*cking per day" rule. Actually, he would not allow me to say "f*ck" out loud. "It's not appropriate in Laos culture. You should say "together in the room." So when we are "together in the room", much as I'm turned on by his body (perfect to my liking: symmetrical, well-developed chest with lean muscles, the kind of muscles you got through good genes and physical hard work, not pumping yourself up in the gym, very lean waist, cute buns and long lean legs), the sex was getting old pretty soon. So I thought, it's totally up to me to spice up our sex life. It's a good thing that J. never fakes orgasm. He only moans when he indeed feels good. So I used his moaning as guidance when exploring his body and finding his G. spots. As someone who only tops and whose basic moves used to limiting to "fast-forward" and then "stall", I ventured to try out more positions, carefully calculating the angle and tempo changes in each case to achieve the maximum results (i.e., the loudest moaning). I even learned how to do cum-control in order to last longer (those daily cardios in the gym helps too. Actually each day with J. is always like working out twice if you know what I mean😉 ). My efforts paid off. Since I'm someone who feeds off greatly on his partner's pleasure, the more J. enjoys the sex, the more turned on I am. In the past, if I sensed that the boy was in pain or just wanted to get it over with, I often lost interest quickly and couldn't even get hard again. That's why I always preferred a boy who was also into me. I ended up having some of the best sex in my life with J., although to an outsider, it may look like my partner was just lying there and moaning. To see that a little farmer housewife sometimes sounding like a cat in heat gives me a sense of achievement too. PS. Once, my male ego forced me to ask J. "Do I give you better sex than your ex-boyfriend did?" He looked the other way, blushing a little but was vague with his answer "I don't know." Is that a yes or he was sparing my feelings? A few days ago, J. got angry with me for something (probably) quite trivial. Being passive-aggressive, he didn't want to talk it out. So he undressed and got into bed. When I joined him, he allowed me to do whatever I want but played dead. Sensing his resistance, I told myself "Challenge accepted!" So I really took my time, trying to be as gentle as I can, and started by paying visits to those G. spots with my tongue. As people say, the body doesn't lie. J. used his right hand to push down the little J. who was claiming loudly it should have its own life (and fun) too. He even gritted his teeth, determining not to let out a single sound. But he could hardly control it as the sound leak became more and more noticeable. Eventually, when I started upping my tempo, it's like he finally gave up and the moaning business was back to usual. So I thought "Mission accomplished!" I was wrong. After we finished, J. got up immediately (no usual post-coitus cuddling), got dressed and went home. He didn't even stop to collect his fee, which I laid out on the table next to the door. He was THAT angry. Although I wasn't sure why he got angry, being a good boyfriend, I sent my apologies for whatever I did wrong through message (of course I didn't say "whatever" in there). I was forgiven the next day though. PS. Speaking of fake orgasm, there is this Laos boy whom I offed just once about 2 years ago. We had barely even begun it when he started moaning loudly and saying all those "come on baby" "oh yeah" "f*ck" "feel so good" whatever. He couldn't hold his conversation in simple English (we used google translation most of the time) but obviously he has a very good command when it comes to those phrases. It was so distracting I had to tell him to tone it down but he begged to differ "That's my way. I was always like that with my ex boyfriend back in Laos." A few minutes into it, my already hard cock got soft and could not recover, so I just let him go with the promised fee. I nicknamed him "the porn star" and the sobriquet sticks. Everyone in the bar knows about his tricks and calls him "porn star" as well. Now come to think of it, he would make a perfect cast for @Olddaddy if his self-made porn idea ever materializes. I run into the Porn Star, who is now freelancing, once in a while and got his feedback on how his acts would work on other customers. It turned out it works for some and for those who hate it, he has learned to cool it. He promised if I off him again, he will now lie completely still in my bed, without making a sound. Do I look like I'm into necrophilia to you?

Or inserted first, and then eaten

Me too. Back in my days in NTU (Singapore), I even hosted a karaoke party for gay fellow students from the same university

See True to Jason's way of always doing something with A BANG The garland might have something to do with it. Those Chinese probably thought "Well, that hottie received a garland. There must be something special about him."

Let's make one thing clear: I'm not trying to romanticize anything. I'm trying to tell things as it is. I don't even let myself be dragged into pretty pointless (to me) arguments, such as "what is real love" or "Transaction-based relationships are not real" blah blah. I never deny that money is important in JC "love stories". Please, those working boys come from poor family, of course, money always matters! To many of them, money is not just a means to achieve goals, money is the goal itself. I always look at it this way, to quote my favorite character from my favorite show (The Big Bang Theory) Bert: You guys are nice, but I'm just gonna buy Rebecca a Jet Ski and see if that gets her back. Raj: (once Bert left) I feel bad for Bert. Sheldon: So he's using his money to attract a mate. Is that any different than me using my intelligence to attract Amy? Or Leonard using his power of groveling to get Penny? Raj: Sheldon, what did Amy have that attracted you? Sheldon: Oh, so many things. Her mind, her kindness, and especially her body. Raj: Really? Amy: Relax. We're the same blood type. He knew he could harvest an organ. Ask yourself this: why the boy chose me among paying fellow customers? Because of my good look? my personality? the way I care? I give him more money? Or because nobody else was interested? Or a little bit of everything? Whatever the reason, you obviously have something to offer that others don't, at least, at that moment in time and place. So what if you entice the boy, first and foremost, with your money? At least, you have money. And later on, if he finds out about your other endearing qualities and grows more attached to you, doesn't it make it even better? I once half-jokingly asked J. what else, apart from my money, made he fall in love with me. His answer is brief and, as clichéd as it may sound, still moves me "because of what I feel when I'm with you." About two months ago (we were in a hotel in Vientiane at the time), in the middle of the night, J. suddenly turned to me and hugged me so tight, his whole body shaking, he woke me up (he was never a clingy type when he sleeps). Then he stopped and I went back to sleep. The next morning, I asked him about what happened. "I had a terrifying nightmare. That's why I hugged you. I now don't remember much about what I saw in my dream, but as soon as I hugged you, I feel safe again." Should I ask for more?

I understand. There are merits on both sides of the argument. However, my main point was trying to help Jason see why his guy flat out told him "I want you to come to my bar" (instead of just implying) even though they have dinner with each other every day. Of course, the decision on how to act is totally his. I'm also aware that with Bangkok drink pricing, it's costly to help raise the boy's status that way. Let me share some of my own experiences. I used to have a regular boy in Pattaya's X-boys, who often sent me a message during more quiet nights "Min, please stop by and give me a drink. I have had none so far." To be honest, the only thing I liked about that bar at the time was him so I only set foot inside whenever I want to off him (usually once per week). Other nights, whenever I passed by, I went straight to the stage and tucked 100B in his underwear and then left. Other boys oohed and aahed, and my boy looked proud as a peacock. That was of my way of showing him public support without breaking the bank.

You may want to try to look at it from the boy’s perspective. He might think that if you care for him, you would show up in his bar frequently, offing and/or buying him drinks, and by doing that, show others how popular he is, increasing his values and status in the bar. Several boys, once given a choice by me, 100B tip or one more drink (from which they get 50B), invariably go for one more drink to increase the total number of drinks they secure for the bar. This is not just about money. The boy might even expect you to also buy drinks for his less fortunate friends, raising his status among those too. In other words, giving him “face” in the bar may mean more to him than having dinner together every day. If you are not sure, have a heart-to-heart with him and see what he thinks, which would probably help you better balance between personal interactions and public display of support

Could you two take the chance and make a video together?

Wonder why you singled out Olddaddy? Because of his porn-star potentials?

Brief update on T. and the Dutch customer, the story that started this thread (as usual, my threads never have a clear focus and I just put down whatever takes my fancy at the moment). It looks like they are going steady. The customer stops by every day without fail, only sits with T., sometimes for a very long time (the other day, he arrived at 7pm and was still there at 11pm, when I left). There is only one off so far, but the customer will stay here for two more weeks, so WE AT THE BAR all hope for something more substantial out of it. J. stopped T. every time we ran into him to get an update. Yes, we care that much, especially when it comes to a chance for a long-term relationship. Speaking of long-term relationships, last night I sat with V., currently the oldest boy in the bar (34). He currently dates a farang boyfriend, an American expat, who gives him a generous monthly allowance of 30K Baht and still allows him to work in the bar. "I can sit and go drinking with customers, but no sex. That's his condition. He said if he ever found out that I cheated, he will end our association immediately." V. already bought a house in his hometown, a few hours away by bus from Pattaya. 16K monthly down payment would come from the aforesaid allowance. He's also been trying to save, earmarked for opening a coffee house in his hometown. "That is one reason my boyfriend allows me to continue to work here. He wants me to do the saving myself." V. told me. "When I reach my target of 200K, I will stop working in the bar and move back home." "But what about your boyfriend? He lives here in Pattaya, right?" "Oh, he will move and live with me in my house. That's our plan for a future together." According to V., the said boyfriend actually sat in the bar and observed him at work for some time before finally approaching him. Their relationship is still fresh and they do it step by step, At the moment, V.'s been staying with him 3 days a week, aiming for living with each other full-time down the line. "It seems you guys got it all figured out. Your boyfriend is so thoughtful. You have a good thing going for you. I think you should avoid doing anything that may jeopardize the relationship. Work harder, take good care of him, keep him staying in love with you. Don't risk it just for some quick buck." "I know. He said he loves me and wants to be with me for a long time. If he keeps his part of promise, I won't cheat. " "Do you love him?" I asked. "Actually, at the moment, I only like him." V. was honest with his answer. "But my feeling for him is growing. I want to be with him every day." When asked about his previous relationships, V. said he was in love with a German guy a while ago. "When he decided to leave Thailand and move back home, I had cried for days because I know I would never see him again. I still miss him sometimes." "Suppose the German guy comes back to Pattaya right at this moment, what would you do if you have to choose?" It didn't take long for him to come up with an answer. "I would sit with him and talk but would not do anything that may break my boyfriend's heart. I know how hurtful it is to have your heart broken. My boyfriend has been good to me. I would not do anything to hurt him." (I wish all those younger boys working in the soi would share the same view). It's already midnight. I gave V. his tip and told him I want to sit with him again some time in the future to get updates on his relationship. "J. told me you are a lovely person. Now I think so too." V. said "You are a lovely person too." I said So we said goodbyes, feeling happier because both of us are lovely hehehe. PS. I really like the arrangements made between V. and his boyfriend. Maybe it's time I make a similar deal, officially, with J., (whose own dream is opening a clothes store back in his hometown).

In order to answer your question more thoroughly, here is a bit of history: before he came to Thailand, J. had 2 ex-boyfriends. One is Thai, who he met totally online, dated a few months, even prepared to travel to Thailand to meet then somehow found out that Thai had a local boyfriend. Then he got a Laos boyfriend, who lived in a different province and who used to pick him up on his car (having your own car in Laos rural areas is a big deal so I guess this ex-boyfriend was pretty well-off by the local living standard). J.'s first and only sexual experiences in Laos, according to him, were with this ex-boyfriend, but "we don't have sex that much because he lives far away." It looks like this boyfriend doted on him and also provided him financial support (J. worked in a shoe factory at the time, which paid minimum wages). Then 7 months later, the same old story: he found out the boyfriend had another boy in yet another province, so cut him out of his life completely. The boyfriend later wanted to get back together, but J. said "No, he hurt me badly with his cheating, I could never forgive". Then he moved to Thailand and met me. Again, this is what he said: I'm the second person he ever had sex with. He made it clear that he wants a long-term relationship but also that he expects financial support from his partner because he himself is responsible for a big family back home. "My friends have had chances to travel and have fun but all I know since high-school graduation is work and work." When he introduced me to his mother, he even asked "Can I say you are my boyfriend?" There was a tinge in my heart that he even has to ask for permission. But as he explained, this time the relationship is different. There is a big difference between us in terms of social and financial status, and I'm also his customer from whom he received money in exchange for sexual favors. It's funny that when I travel to his village to meet his family for the first time, the whole village stopped by just to see what J's foreign boyfriend looks like (Who spread the news, I have no idea, but the gossip mills there obviously just spin as fast as in JC) Back to your other question, I used to think that he must have other, however limited, sexual encounters with other customers because after all, he needs money and he works in JC. But to this day, I haven't had a single concrete evidence of that. The whole bar, where he works, knew about us and appeared to cheer for us. After just a few weeks, every time someone saw me, the first thing they said is "J. is blah blah". I once asked the bartender "Why everybody mentioned J. the instant they see me. I'm just one of his customers." And you know what he said. "Because from beginning, you guys never looked like customer and boy. Whenever I see you two together, I see a couple." I treat many boys in that bar nicely including those I never off, buying them drinks on those "lean" times when they couldn't make one single drink the whole night. Some keep an eye on J. for my sake, give me updates about him when I'm not around, but not a single one ever said he saw J. went to a hotel with a customer. What @gayinpattayawho I believe lives full-time in Jomtien and knows a lot about what's going on in the complex, just said in his comment above, further cemented the belief that he probably never went with another customer. I myself never demand that he can only go with me though, but I did say if he has sex with other customers, always play it safe to protect both of us. I know J.'s type (Asian, slim, smooth and fair complexion). There was one time when suspicion raised its ugly head, I decided to test J. (a decision I later regretted) by asking H., a Taiwanese friend, who I know would be J's type, to approach him, posing as a customer. This is a drama in its own right that I may recount another time, but after found out that H. was my friend, J. did tell H. "Min was the only person I have sex with since I arrived in Pattaya" (J. himself never told me this). Thanks for the info though. That helps I'm still trying to learn more about J. and his values in life, and on many occasions, have struggled to understand why he did what he did.

I think many boys are aware of that but they probably also have their own principle(s) to stick too. Early in our relationship, actually when I just started out as his regular customer for a month, I did put that question to J. "If you agree to have sex with more customers, you can make a lot more money. Why don't you do it? You are working here as a money boy. Sex is, after all, just job." "No, if I don't have feeling for a guy, I won't have sex with him. Period." "But you will lose out on a lot of money..." "Money is not everything. I just try to get what I can." That conversation was a turning point for me as I started to see him in a different light - a young person of principles. I started to make sure, no matter how many times we met that month, I gave him enough money to live and to send home (a poor family of 8 siblings, all farming, father died of heart problems 2 years ago).

You are probably right that you know who J. is. But I’m curious that how some old geezers knew he agreed to go hotel with me that week. We certainly did not advertise that fact.

Oops. What do you mean by "That was you?" Did we have a chance to talk in the bar?

I'm in a mood of reminiscence today, so in the spirit of the Bangkokbois and his Dancing with Devil series, I'll relate here some of my own falling in love with a bar boy. I met my special boy, J., in Jomtien a year ago. When we first met, I thought he's the best looking boy in the bar at that time (and that's saying something because that bar is full of boys my type). He told me he only started work 4 days ago, already received quite a few offers for off, but he said no to all of them. "If I don't like and feel comfortable with a customer, I won't go with him to the hotel." "Would you go with me?" I asked after more than an hour sitting with J., talking about his life back in Laos, his family and also his previous love life. "Yes." There's no hesitance in his answer. "For how much?" "2000" "Why so much? Other boys only ask for 1500, and many would go for 1000." (to be honest, if he asked for 3000, I would still agree because he's exactly my type - body, face and personality even (and a killer smile to top it off), but I feel it's my obligation to bargain so as not to upset the market and some fellow customers "I know, but I want 2000." "Is 1500 ok?" "No, 2000." J. was firm. "Why?" "Because I never go with anyone before and this is my first time." (not sure about the logic of that argument, but I gave up haggling quickly, feeling thankful he didn't ask for 3000). So I paid the bar fine (300), my own drink and the boy drink (150), and off we went to Boyztown, where my hotel is. On the baht bus, I asked him a question I usually ask boys "What type of guys do you like to be your boyfriend?" "Someone like you." was his answer, again with no hesitance. At that time, I just laughed it off (well, bar boy standard line) and told him exactly what I thought "You would say that to all customers." "No, I do not." He seemed upset. After almost a year together, I finally believe he meant what he said that day. The next day, I'm back to the bar in order to off him again. I was early but he's already with a customer, someone from Australia. So I sat with another boy, whom I chose randomly, at a table opposite, so that I could watch what's going at the other table (I know I should not do that but I can't help myself). The customer seemed smitten with J.. He hugged the boy all the time, ordered food from outside, even bought him a bouquet when a door-to-door flower seller stopped by. At my table, ironically, things went the other way around. The boy sitting with me (who happened to be D. also a new boy, who started work as the same time as J.. He is the one who was asked to give a customer 40-min blowjob I talked about in the other thread), seemed very passionate and clingy. He hugged me tight, his hands all over my body, even found their way inside my underwear. He placed my hand on his shorts to show me he's already getting hard. Kept asking me if I want to off him. Unfortunately, my attention was all on the other table. To be fair, the cheerful Australian who sat with J. seems a very nice guy, except that he... sat with J. And then, he paid the off fee. "So much for I only go with someone I like and feel comfortable huh" I thought. Why I felt so upset about a money boy I just met? He's a money boy and that's what he does. I kept reasoning with myself all the way to M-bar, another bar where lots of boys know me. I need a distraction. And you know what, there's that customer again with J. sitting in a dark corner. Obviously, they just moved bar. I don't want to stay there, so I left again. Enough for today, I decided to go back. When I reached my hotel in Boyztown, I got J.'s message. It turned out he only agreed to go drinking in another bar (the customer did ask him for a hotel visit at the end of the night but he turned that down and still received a generous tip of 1500B just for being a companion) and he was free already. J. also seemed upset because he actually checked with D. to see if I eventually offed D. and D. somehow got the idea that I would come back to off him after I'm done with bar hopping. I don't recall saying anything to that effect, but after all, I don't remember whatever I said to D. back in the bar. The third day, I learned my lesson and told J. in advance I will come to take him off. On the bus, I received his message "Where are you? There's a customer who wants to sit with me, so I have to check with you. You want me to wait for you or is it okay I sit with him first?" Of course, I want J. to wait for me, but I also want him to make more money with drinks so told him it's ok to sit with the customer, I could wait until he's free. What a wait it was. The customer, an Asian one and quite young this time, sat with J. for nearly 3 hours through a bunch of drinks, probably trying to get him to agree to a hotel visit. After nearly 2 hours, I got impatient and messaged J, saying if the customer wants to off him, he can go but let me know so that I don't waste my time waiting. "NOOO, I want to go with you" came back the instant answer. Then, I decided to watch the show in M2M bar to kill time. About 45 minutes into the show, I got J.'s message "Come, quick, before I have another customer". It feels like a who-gets-to-the-bar-boy-first competition. I quickly paid the bill, left the show midway, and walked briskly back to the bar. J. literally ran from inside to meet me at the entrance with his stuff. That trip, the only boy I offed is J. and the rest is history. PS. Last night, on our way back to my hotel situated right in JC, J. ran into a customer, who sat with him a few times in the bar. "Where are you going?" The customer asked on passing by. "To hotel" J. flashed his irresistible smile, pointing at me. The customer stopped mid-stride, turned and did a double take. J., to a hotel, with a customer?

Actually, many veterans here know better than ditching regular customers, who would continue to support them in difficult times, for a quick buck. If you ask boys in my favorite bar who has the most customers, they would all say "K.", who sometimes had between 20 and 30 drinks in a single night. When I asked him to sit with me for the first time, he actually declined my request (politely of course) because one of his regular customers said he would stop by.

If you need a cameraman, who would work gratis, count me in

Some SHORT-TIME price updates for Pattaya (based on boys' input) There are basically three levels of price for short time 1. Tourist level: 1500B, boys usually ask for 2000B but ready to be bargained down to 1500. Some even maintain two tiers: 1500 for no anal & 2000 with anal. If boys accompany you to another bar for drinking and/or watching shows but no sex involved, they usually expect anything between 500 and 1000 (plus the bar fine). 2. Local expat level: 700B to 1000B 3. Local Thai level: 500B (usually made via apps like Blued and Hornet) When J., my boy, heard about that 500B deal, he laughed out loud and said "It's ridiculous!" He was probably spoilt by the 3000B I normally give him, but I told him to put himself in other boys' shoes. If you are alone in a foreign country, far away from home, and you have no steady income, no boyfriend/regular customers to turn to when in need, you probably would do anything just to survive. There is a Thai boy named Th., who just moved to Pattaya last month from Bangkok. He's currently working in JC's M-bar, where most of the boys are freelancers. 18 years old, gay but straight-acting, quite good-looking (tall, silk smooth skin with fine facial features, slim but not too fit). I asked if he had many offs since he moved here, and he said no, mostly drinks. Why? You are pretty! Because when customers approached him, he asked for 3000B (because he got paid like that in Bangkok) and they all bargained down that price by an absurd amount (some even started from hundreds up!). I told him, with that level of expectation, he should move to a more touristy area, like Boyztown. Actually, he would have the best chance at Boyz Boyz Boyz, but too bad that the bar's age limit was upped to 21 about a year ago. Speaking of Boyz Boyz Boyz, most of their working boys are straight and usually expect at least 3000 from lady customers, who in fact tend to give more. If they are forced to deal with a gay customer, they may ask for 5000 upward either to make it worth their while or simply so that the customer would give up. I also notice a more noticeable trend of boys picking and choosing customers. K., a very attractive Laos boy, who just started working in Jomtien a few weeks ago (he was a Mor lam dancer back in Laos), told me "I know customers choose boys, but we choose customers too." In his first day at work, probably because of his good look, big "tool", and new-face freshness, a customer offered to take him for the whole weekend for a generous tip, only to receive a firm NO. The bar staff, when he told that story to me, added "Let's wait until the low season and he'll see."

It looks to me you’ve come up with a new career idea every few hours

Hic, then I guess they all are in it. No wonder, the other waiter (the English-speaking one) couldn't care less when I talked about the cheating. I was cheated only once by the Chinese-speaking waiter my first time there. Later on, I visited the place quite often so probably they know better than trying to pull a fast one on me.

Jason, long time no see, but I can see from the other thread that you are doing well Haha, and how much do you think I should ask for my cut? (100B is the norm from what I heard) Except when you check for the "insertion" rite? A little update: the customer made good on his promise. Yesterday, when I entered the bar, the new lovebirds were already busily at it and it wasn't even 9 pm. But it looks like the gentleman wants to take it slow, taking time to get to know the boy better (I like that). He promised he would be back again tonight and probably with an off. Oops, this is news to me. The other day, I took off my own shirt in the bar so that my boy can massage my shoulder. I wish you were there to warn me about what's legal and what's not

Again, that Chinese-speaking person is not mamasan. He’s just a normal waiter. Other staff in the bar know about his bullshit (I talked to them about this) but nobody would do anything because he’s probably valuable in dealing with Chinese customers. Some boys told me they gave him 100 or 2 if he helped them score a Chinese customer. So just take my advice, ignore him and ask for another waiter. He won’t bother you anymore. FYI. There is only one mamasan in that bar, that tall Thai guy.

Last night, I sat in my favorite haunt with J., my regular boy, whom I have been taken off almost every day whenever I'm in Pattaya since last Dec (1-year anniversary coming up). As usual, I asked him to pick a friend to sit with us. J., from Laos, called T., another Laos boy, over. He said "Although we are not close, I want to help him. I hardly ever saw he had customers. " T. is slim, not bad looking but quiet and reserved in manner (kinda out of place in this kind of bar), and on the older side in terms of barboy age (28). We talked and he indeed had few customers. Been working here for nearly two months, only 4 off so far, not so many drinks either, so he barely made it. While we were chatting, a customer, who was sitting alone at the next table, looked on with interest. Then he asked me in English if T. is also working in the bar, probably because he was fully dressed while all other boys (including my own) were shirtless. Feeling an opportunity is presenting itself, I confirmed and asked if he wanted to sit with the boy, explaining that although T. was sitting with us, I'm more than glad to let him switch tables. The guy appeared he wasn't sure what to do, saying that he's pretty new to the scene and still trying to figure out how things work. So T. remained at our table but the customer joined in the conversation on a translation-chain basis, meaning he said something to me in English, I Google-translated into Laos then showed it to J. who in turns repeated to T. It went like that for a while, and all of a sudden, the customer said loudly, to no one in particular, "It would be better if he takes off his shirt". When that idea finally reached T. down the translation line, he still looked sort of uncertain about what to do. It was time something needs to be done to speed things up. So I stood up, marched over to T., who was sitting across the table, and took off his shirt with my hands. Then I chaperoned both him and his drink to the next table, and gently pushed him down next to the customer. Now T. can communicate directly with the customer using google translation. Things started going smoother and the customer ordered two more drinks for himself and T. The customer is Dutch but lives in Spain. He said he is quite reserved himself so has great affinity for a shy boy like T., who, in the customer's words, obviously was not self-aware of how handsome he is. The customer himself is not bad-looking either, and J. confirmed he checked off several things on a bar boy's list "neat-looking, polite, no body odor, not too old, not too fat." "I'm not gonna take advantage of the boy the first time we talk. I can't promise that the next time though." He said. Gentlemanly conduct, but me think "Please. He's ready to be taken advantage of. That's why he's working here". Then I noticed there was still some (physical) distance between T. and the customer, who sat ramrod straight. I told J., who told T. to get closer. Since T. still didn't look like he knows what to do, I gestured for him to follow my lead: I nudged closer to J., hugged him, rested my head lightly on his shoulder, and placed a peck on his cheek. T., albeit a bit haltingly, followed suit, down to the pecking part. The customer, obviously seeing the whole thing, looked both amused and happy. He declared "I've been here for only three days and I'm already in love!" Again, I told J., who reminded T. to ask for the customer's contact. They later parted ways with what looks like a big tip for T. and the promise by the customer that he will come back and talk to the boy again tomorrow. I believe, he, being such a gentleman, will keep his word. I also believe I would make a good Mamasan in case I need a side job. To end on a warm note: late into the night, after J. went back to his room, I came back to the bar to watch the soi winding down. I looked inside and saw T., now totally shirtless, dancing energetically with other boys, smiling broadly when he saw me. He seemed to get that confidence boost he needed. Then I sat at the bar outside, chatted with the bartender and watched people. Somehow I might look a bit lonely and sad, to the point that another gentleman, who'd obviously mistaken me for someone in need of a customer, came to give me a hug upon leaving the bar and whispered in my ear "Don't be too shy. Things will get better!"