FFbtm1974

My advice in Thailand would be to rent so that you could walk away

I'm trying to convince Reader to post again, giving the reason mentioned here....in the meantime he texted me this, since I asked for an update on the masaasge places since I'm fixing ( @BjornAgain a Texan expression for ya) to head to that side of the world.


About Sun Massage on Silom Soi 6 (first shop on right as you enter from Silom rd.). It's my favorite in Silom because of the variety of nationalities represented (Lao, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thai). Unlike most other shops that tend to be single origin, Sun features an ASEAN approach. Many downright handsome guys of all types with the bodies to match. Rooms have massage tables and en suite shower. One hour 500 baht shop fee.
In Saphan Kwai, you can count on frequent turnover as newbies arrive and some rotate home. The wealth of talent remains impressive. If you venture out to shops on Sutthisan road, you become aware your in a thickly settled neighborhood environment that I find fun to experience. Plenty of good food vendors and small eateries in welcoming atmosphere.
The first you come to One Spa. It's a 24/7 operation on four floors. Rooms run from basic mattress on floor to VIP and some LT suites. Usually a half dozen or so guys hanging around. 450 baht shop fee for standard room.
In addition to the well publicized shops that post regularly on LINE, there's an assortment of local Thai shops that function pretty much the same with all Thai staffs. I've sampled a few and found that you can have good results but recommend a bit more discretion. I believe the best way to proceed with these shops is look for a guy you like and don't be afraid to smile first. It it's returned, you're on your way to a new adventure.
The first local shop I tried is on the short Soi leading to STARS massage. It on your right side and there always some cute guys outside.
The second is on the same Soi where Loveboy is located. Actually there are two on right side and frequently guys are hanging around outside. I stumbled upon the first guy when I was headed to LB and returned his smile.
At the end of that Soi you'll find 39 Underground Sauna. This is very popular with locals and there's no restrictions on clientele. Although I haven't used it, have read favorable reviews on forum of those who did.
Just to right of sauna entrance is a coffee shop known as 39 Hornet. Operated by same owner as sauna, it serves up fine coffees and pastry. And if you venture upstairs you find yourself in a maze that kindled memories of Babylon's legendary Garden of Earthly Delights but minus the naked part. It's pitch black except when you go to third floor where it opens into a veranda of sorts facing rear of building.
One last note. If I owe anything to my sauna success it's this: don't hesitate to make the first move. Otherwise you risk wasting precious time.

I’m in Bangkok for a short visit on the end of a larger holiday. Early this evening (07 Oct) I was deciding on whether to get a massage, do some shopping or have dinner when it started raining. I was kinda stuck and found myself outside of the new Wellmax venue, so I figured I might as well check it out.

Opened in August it promises to be a new concept in Saunas. If you’ve heard of it you would probably also be aware it has an age limit of 55. I am a touch under that but was not asked to verify.

Pay on arrival and you’re given an electronic bracket that opens your locker. Everything is on the one floor, with the usual layout of wet area, maze, private rooms and rest areas.

What is does differently is they what I’d call an instagram aesthetic - themed areas that people would love to get the perfect pic at - if cameras were allowed:)

What you can do instead of update your reels is fuck a lad in an actual tuk tuk. Or see how many people can have sex in a Maui Thai ring, or even on the BTS.

The crowd is 70% Chinese/Taiwanese, 25% local and 5% other. 90% are 20-35 and gym fit, think muscle boys, twinks, some chubby lads, and then me:)

I definitely stood out and most of the crowd weren’t interested, but it only takes one or two to show interest, then other seem to think it’s ok to play with you. Ended up spending most of my time with a muscular Thai guy with an amazing body and beautiful ass. I didn’t get to try the tuk tuk but did get to fuck in a Muai thai ring, so I can tick that off the list.

A great innovation for Bangkok is line dispensers in rooms! Genius!

And two things I have not seen anywhere: the private rooms, I only counted 5 or so, have glass doors with internal blinds, so the occupants can adjust to their level of privacy required. Great for a voyeur:)

The other is a game where you upload a selfie to o their page and people vote of the most popular. It didn’t seem to really get anyone’s attention.

Water, juice, ice cream and noodles are available in the relaxation area.

Would I recommend it? If you are under the age limit you could give it a go, or boycott as a protest. There are so many other venues in Bangkok competing for the gay dollar. The crowd are absolutely stunning, no question of that. Not sure if I’ll be back, but I did have a great time, though I was quite prepared to leave without getting lucky.

It's located in the basement of the Wall St Tower on Surawong Rd.

Le Meridien has the best breakfast in the area. Montien and Voco both excellent and Crowne Plaza good but not up to the standard of the others.

Brief, clear, and factual, without any reference to money, but with information about nationality (using a flag emoji) and the hotel name.

I have visited Bangkok annually for the past ten years or so. Here are my observations from my July–August trip:
Because it was the low season, negotiations with MBs were more realistic. I found them on Grindr and never paid more than 1,000 baht for a short-time. On a couple of occasions, they stayed overnight at my hotel rather than leaving late at night, without charging extra. Hiring the same MB for a second encounter later that day cost me 500 baht.
The same seasonal pricing applied to hotels. Easy Planet Hotel on Surawong—formerly Red Planet—and Trinity Silom Hotel both charged less than $30 per night.
One experience surprised me. I met a Burmese who was not MB. After learning that he had walked out of a job earlier that day, I offered him 500 baht. I then proposed hiring him for an entire month, paying him 500 baht for one hour of his time each day. As I understand it, 500 baht is roughly the minimum daily wage in Bangkok. He declined. A few days later, he texted me and conditionally agreed to occasional meetings, but that arrangement did not work for me.
In a way, I am pleased that Burmese migrants are apparently doing well enough in Bangkok to turn down 500 baht for an hour’s work!

presumably born in 1974, you are not that old !

Sex has a way of breaking through social barriers in class-stratified societies, and this is particularly true among us gay men. In Thailand, those barriers remain impenetrable. We foreign tourists, and some of you residents, may encounter privileged Thais in a cigar lounge and exchange pleasantries with them, but I suspect we mostly meet refugees and migrant workers from rural areas. In my experience, both are proud and honorable, if somewhat fatalistic. On a couple of occasions, I had encounters with the educated urban middle class (not MBs). I usually invite them all (refugees, migrant workers, and middle class) to dinner, choosing a restaurant according to what I believe they would enjoy and where they would feel at ease. The first two groups genuinely appreciate both a decent meal and being treated respectfully by a farang. The middle class, on the other hand, resented me, or at least this is my sense. They never say it, but I imagine them thinking: “How is it that a middle-class farang from America can afford to visit Thailand, while I cannot afford to visit his country? Why is he treating me to dinner at a nice restaurant in my own country, rather than the other way around?”
I'm considering to relocate to Bangkok, but I can't simply dismiss what I sensed during my visit: the Thai middle class resents us foreigners because our presence reminds them of their relative economic disadvantage. Are they likely to act upon such sentiments? I hope I'm totally wrong and overthinking!
           

I suspect the topic has been exhausted, but I am glad to learn that there is no social envy in Thailand, be it toward middle-class farangs like me, or the billionaire 1% in one of the world’s most unequal societies (we in the US are moving in the same direction). I had a sense that the unprivileged (refugees and migrant workers) are fatalistically resigned to their poverty - until they rebel, and are suppressed - but I was apparently wrong in my reading of the educated urban middle class. Your reassurance certainly makes the prospect of my early retirement in Thailand more appealing. Thank you. 

It's my 3rd time in Thailand. First time was 9 years ago, as a freshly 20yo. This time I'm back, now for a solo-trip.
I landed the day before. Booked a hotel in the Ari area. Nice area for cafe hopping, not much else to do besides that. Cool for a day. Or like I did, go one bts station away to the Saphan Kwai area. 
The Saphan Kwai area is, like many of you probably know, the area with a lot of boy massage shops. Why there? I have no clue. Before my trip I made a line account and added all the massage shops I could find. Searched the forum here and on other places in the internet. 
After wanting to try this I finally got trough with it. It would be my first gay massage and the first time ever paying someone for sex. Never really felt the need, because I get enough messages of guys as cute on Grindr. But still, there is some excitement and convenience in just booking it. Plus, you know he is going to do some attempt for a massage. 
I decided to go with Love boy, or phetboy how is used to be named. I messaged them on line and they replied quick. It was clear though they didn't speak English and probably used a translation app (and not a good one).
I send them the photo of the therapist I wanted, and got a message back that he would check the dog. Yes, that's no typo. Still a bit confused he asked what time. I said 15.00 or 16.00. Got back a message saying the first was fine and a photo of their menu. I went with the oil massage.
It's closely located to the BTS and Google maps brings you there no problem. The entrance has blacked out doors and a fake hedge in front.
I was there 5 minutes beforehand. Got handed a bottle of cold water and then my therepist walked in. He seemed to have gotten there by motorbike, since he was carrying a motor helmet. 
I immediately recognized him from the picture, although he was definitely more on the Twinkier side than the photo would make you believe. Now is that for me no problem , since I like twinks but it's good to mention. I think their mayority of boys is the Twink type. 
The boy spoke a little English and seemed to be a Thai. Without much words he made me feel comfortable and seemed to like his job. At first I was a bit afraid it could become a bad experience, since he was one of the boys marked as straight. Judging from my impression I think he genuinely is straight,  but he takes his job seriously. 
The massage room is simple but clean. It's a mattress on the floor situation,  and a normal pillow. Since the main event here isn't the massage, it might even be more convenient than a regular table. After being told that I could take a shower I did. When I came back he was sitting on the ground watching videos, wearing only a towel.
He quickly stopped the video and started massaging my legs. The massage was better than expected, but ofcourse not like anything you get from a professional salon. He did quite some leg work and some back and shoulder. Ofcourse my ass needed the most attention and he had some unique tactics I haven't experienced at normal massage salons. 
After about half an hour, maybe a bit more he quickly got up and went to the shower, all without saying a word. Knowing what would he next, I laid there waiting for a couple minutes before he came back. 
When he came back he was rock hard and not wearing the towel anymore. I got on my back, and he said something to make sure I wanted more than a massage. He got on top of me and started kissing my body and sucking my nipples. Then he pointed to a condom and asked 'you want?'. After nodding yes he proceeded to put it on and got inside me.
He was going for it really well, had quite a big one and really knew how to use it. Then a couple minutes in he got called, which he answered. All without stopping. Ofcourse this was kind of a turn off to be. Must be another shop asking if he was available later. It was all in Thai so didn't understand much of it, but I was happy when the call ended. 
After he really did his best again and delivered. He gave me tissues to clean up and went for a shower himself. I wasn't sure if it's normal to shower as well, but I would go straight to my hotel anyway where I could take a shower. 
After we were done we went downstairs. I paid both the shop and the therapist and ofcourse gave him a little extra.
Would recommend the massage place,  it's good value for money and the therapist I saw I would see again. 
Later the night I went to Dream Boy for the first time. I didn't off a boy, since I was with a friend but there were some cute boys on stage. The boy my friend and I found cutest got offed real quick, so that was a shame for us haha! 
There was a decent crowd, seats where somewhat filled. Boys plenty and all types and ages. Was surprised to even see some guys old enough to be my dad. 
Shows were so so, not really my thing and drinks are expensive. That said, I think the main attraction here is to take a boy home. 

I've had it the other way around in Thailand, Indonesia,China and even Taiwan...... They invited me out, selected the place and paid for me, I accepted it gracefully..... they all told me they had more money than me, who am I to argue with that, I'm very humble 😏

No, they aren't. Reactions to the current state of the economy are a lot more nuanced than that and, as far as I know, no westerner in KL has been harmed for "increasing prices". 

Brief, clear, and factual, without any reference to money, but with information about nationality (using a flag emoji) and the hotel name.

I have visited Bangkok annually for the past ten years or so. Here are my observations from my July–August trip:
Because it was the low season, negotiations with MBs were more realistic. I found them on Grindr and never paid more than 1,000 baht for a short-time. On a couple of occasions, they stayed overnight at my hotel rather than leaving late at night, without charging extra. Hiring the same MB for a second encounter later that day cost me 500 baht.
The same seasonal pricing applied to hotels. Easy Planet Hotel on Surawong—formerly Red Planet—and Trinity Silom Hotel both charged less than $30 per night.
One experience surprised me. I met a Burmese who was not MB. After learning that he had walked out of a job earlier that day, I offered him 500 baht. I then proposed hiring him for an entire month, paying him 500 baht for one hour of his time each day. As I understand it, 500 baht is roughly the minimum daily wage in Bangkok. He declined. A few days later, he texted me and conditionally agreed to occasional meetings, but that arrangement did not work for me.
In a way, I am pleased that Burmese migrants are apparently doing well enough in Bangkok to turn down 500 baht for an hour’s work!

Brief, clear, and factual, without any reference to money, but with information about nationality (using a flag emoji) and the hotel name.

I have visited Bangkok annually for the past ten years or so. Here are my observations from my July–August trip:
Because it was the low season, negotiations with MBs were more realistic. I found them on Grindr and never paid more than 1,000 baht for a short-time. On a couple of occasions, they stayed overnight at my hotel rather than leaving late at night, without charging extra. Hiring the same MB for a second encounter later that day cost me 500 baht.
The same seasonal pricing applied to hotels. Easy Planet Hotel on Surawong—formerly Red Planet—and Trinity Silom Hotel both charged less than $30 per night.
One experience surprised me. I met a Burmese who was not MB. After learning that he had walked out of a job earlier that day, I offered him 500 baht. I then proposed hiring him for an entire month, paying him 500 baht for one hour of his time each day. As I understand it, 500 baht is roughly the minimum daily wage in Bangkok. He declined. A few days later, he texted me and conditionally agreed to occasional meetings, but that arrangement did not work for me.
In a way, I am pleased that Burmese migrants are apparently doing well enough in Bangkok to turn down 500 baht for an hour’s work!

@bkkmfj2648 Thanks for your reflections. I hope things are going well for you!
I thought I'd share my plan, which works for me:
I spend 2-3 months a year there, usually in Fall, during shoulder season. For healthcare, I buy the travel insurance which allows the longest continuous stay (Allianz, for max 90 day stay). I study paasaa Thai and have become better and can now read most signs. I love my stays in Thailand for all the obvious reasons but by the end of my stay I am looking forward to being home once again. As the saying goes, there is no place like home. 
When in Thailand I try to allow for a stay in some neighboring country. This year (September?) I am planning a trip to Sri Lanka which is a country which has always fascinated me. Alternatively perhaps a trip to Nepal. Neither country I have visited thus far. 
I've been doing this circuit now for 17 years and it works for me. Being a full-time expat really would not work for me. 

Er' we go again. 2 3 4.
You can't go wrong with The Wine Cellar, which is part of The Poseidon Hotel. On your right as you enter JC from the Trappraya Road entrance. 22/23 May is Chef Bart's next 16 dishes menu, like a Chef's tasting menu. Price normally 1200THB, eat as much as you can. Next theme is 'World of Food'. Link to menu:- https://poseidonpattaya.com/16-dishes-22-23-may-2026/
For Mexican, then Buenos Mexican in JC, just down from The Wine Cellar, else a short Bolt or BahtBus away (heading towards Pats), is Mike's Mexican.
For French then Yupins in JC, across from CockA2, or Natan's which is on Trappraya Road, across from Take Care Bar which is a live rock music venue, or up from Lone Star Saloon Bar if you like your live music Texas and Country.
For a really good French restaurant, then recommend La Bordeaux, which is in Pattaya, behind TukCom. Link to last week's Table d'hôte menu :- https://maps.app.goo.gl/5qCSLsJvCrFa5N5T8
In terms of posh Thai, then May's on Trepprasit Road. Else for cracking value Isan, then Zaab High, to your left as you look out from the front door of TukCom. Be warned, if you ask for it hot, it will be!!
For Italian, then with a family feel, Salotto on Trappraya Road, just up from Tinnies Pies, which is ripper Aussi Tucker. Bewarned. Salotto's pizza's are big! Else Tattoria Delina which is at the back of the Jomtien Bus / Coach depot.
For traditional English pub grub, then Hemmingways on Trappraya Road, on your right as you exit JC. Sports bar fee, so plenty of TV's.
If it's late night alcohol soakage you're after, then none finer then 2 or 3 7/11 hot ham and cheese toasties!
On the other hand, for all you can eat Surf&Turf, then The Hilton over in Pats, do a good quality Smash-And-Grab buffet, they also do an unlimited wine option at 1300THB. Depending on if you have a Hilton loyalty status or not, you can get upto 25% discount off the bill.
Enjoy.

Go downstairs to the skytrain level. Walk to the left of the skytrain office where we buy tickets. On your right are some change booths which give a better rate than all the upstairs change places at bkk. When I was there earlier this month the rate there wasn't that far below the best in the city.  

Back from Songkran and, honestly, still slightly dazed. If you’ve done Bangkok before, you think you know what’s coming. You don’t. This year felt… bigger. Denser. As if the city inhaled and then forgot to exhale.
Silom, in particular, tipped over into something close to myth. One day had to be shut down entirely because the crowds simply became unmanageable. Not “busy”, not “packed”, properly overrun. Water, bodies, music, whistles, foam, heat. It stopped being a street and became a current you were carried along in.
And the boys. OMG. Silom was thick with gleaming circuit party types, bronzed, oiled, and very aware of it. The sort of crowd that makes you stand up a little straighter, or at least consider doing a push-up later. Everywhere you looked: mesh tops, tiny shorts, water guns held like accessories rather than weapons. It felt curated, but not artificial. More like everyone had quietly agreed to bring their best game.
Queues into the mainstays were, predictably, biblical. DJ Station and GOD had lines snaking well into the street, damp, impatient, but oddly cheerful. No one really minded. That’s part of the ritual. You queue, you flirt, you get splashed by strangers, you make temporary alliances. By the time you get inside, you already feel like you’ve been out all night.
What’s changed, and what surprised me, is how much the scene has expanded. There are new venues now, not covered by the trip reports on this forum. Here are a few:
Cake (bear bar)
CAKE is one of those places you don’t quite notice at first… and then suddenly realise you’ve spent half the night there.
Positioned as a bear bar, it fills a gap Silom didn’t quite have before. Not in the old-school, slightly tired sense, but in a way that feels deliberately warmer, more social, and a bit less performative than the usual circuit-heavy scene outside.
Inside, the set-up is fairly straightforward. Compact, a bit dark, music at a level where you can still talk without shouting. The lighting is forgiving in the best possible way. It invites you in rather than putting you on display. You order a drink, you linger, you end up talking to someone.
The crowd is exactly what you’d hope for:
Bears, cubs, and plenty of admirers
A fair number of 30s and 40s guys who look like they’ve outgrown the need to impress.
Some younger visitors drifting in, curious, often staying longer than they planned.
A sprinkling of circuit boys who, after a few nights of posing, seem quietly relieved to relax a bit.
There’s a noticeable shift in tone compared to the rest of Silom. Less peacocking. More eye contact. People actually introduce themselves. Conversations last longer than one drink. It feels… human.
During Songkran, CAKE leaned into its identity rather than competing with the madness outside.
The pool party on the 13th of April was, by all accounts, exactly what you’d imagine and then a bit better. Not polished, not overly curated. Just a proper gathering. Think bodies of all shapes in the water, laughter cutting through the music, beers in hand, someone dancing a bit too enthusiastically, someone else cheering them on. Less about spectacle, more about participation.
You could feel the contrast with the main Silom strip. Outside: hyper-toned, high-gloss, slightly intimidating. Inside CAKE: softer edges, easier smiles, a bit of mischief, a bit of flirtation that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
It’s also one of the few places where you see generations mixing without tension. A guy in his early 30s chatting comfortably with someone in his late 40s. No hierarchy. No obvious social sorting. Just people… being there.
Boy Camp
This one deserves a proper mention because it signals where Silom is heading, not where it’s been.
Boy Camp sits right in the middle of the action on Soi 2, but it doesn’t feel like a legacy venue. It feels new. Slightly more curated. Slightly more aware of itself. And very much built for the current generation of Asian gay nightlife.
Physically, it’s a multi-level party bar with a compact but high-energy layout. Think three floors stacked vertically, each getting progressively more intense as you go up. Downstairs is more social, transitional space. Middle level starts to pulse. Upstairs is where it tips into full party mode. Music leans heavily into K-pop, Asian pop, and circuit-adjacent beats, which gives it a distinct flavour compared to the more Western-heavy playlists at DJ Station.
The crowd reflects that shift.
You get a lot of:
Younger Asian guys, particularly Thai, Korean, Taiwanese
Well-groomed, fashion-aware, slightly softer aesthetic than the classic circuit muscle crowd
Groups of friends rather than lone cruisers
A noticeable social-media polish… but still playful, not overly cold
There’s a kind of “idol energy” to the place. Not intimidating, but very visually tuned. People here know how they look under lighting.
What’s interesting is that Boy Camp isn’t primarily about cruising or even heavy drinking. It’s about energy, movement, and group dynamics. People dance in clusters. They flirt in waves rather than one-on-one. There’s a sense of collective rhythm rather than individual hunting.
Compared to older Silom venues:
Less chaotic than GOD
Less chaotic but more curated than DJ Station
Less transactional than the go-go style places historically tied to the Patpong area
During Songkran, it becomes something else entirely.
The street spills into the venue and the venue spills back into the street. You get soaked boys coming in, drying off, then going straight back out again. Water guns abandoned at the entrance. Shirts half-buttoned or gone entirely. The lighting hits wet skin in a way that feels almost staged.
And because the crowd skews slightly younger and more Asian, the aesthetic shifts from “circuit brute” to something more sleek, agile, almost choreographed. Less about size, more about lines. Less about dominance, more about presence.
If DJ Station is the institution and GOD is the pressure cooker,
then Boy Camp is the new language Silom is learning.
And judging by the queues forming outside it this Songkran,
it’s a language people are very keen to speak.
By the end of it, Silom felt less like a party and more like an event that briefly took over the city, something between a festival and a fever dream.
Would I do it again?

Absolutely.

Skip Bangkok and Pattaya and head straight to Isaan!

The only rough or contact sport you will get in Patpong and Pattaya will be the bitch-slaps and handbag-slinging from the old queens. Or catfights in the forum as you can see.
Nevertheless, good luck!

First and only post, made on April 1st. 🤔😁

I have a wrestling / fighting / domination thing and would like to meet a dude who can give and take. 

Iranians face double tragedy being stuck between aggressors and their own cruel regime. While it's true Iran is victim of raw aggression , there weren't exactly best behaving neighbour on their street either.
It's sad how fast word forgot about plight of Gaza people,  since bombing began almost never mentioned in media.
As for BOMB unfortunately lesson from North Korea, Ukraine and now Iran is , you want be safe you better have one or at least close friend who does.
Might was always right but now, thanks to Orange one  that's truth is exposed without shame to world's peril.
 
BEEP, BEEP we are going astray from  thread's topic