ChristianPFC

I didn't pay attention, but I think I remember most gogo bars I went to in Pattaya had boys in socks and/or shoes on stage.

Relaxing Sauna is still there and worth a visit. Black Beans Karaoke is still open. Details here: http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2014/09/relaxing-sauna-in-ubon-ratchathani.html http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2014/09/gay-venues-in-ubon-ratchathani.html

4. Notre Dame de Paris (and Dalida monument) - (I know and so much more - A moveable feast - (done) What do you think is so special about Notre Dame de Paris? I have been there, and in Chartres, but know cathedrals of Amiens, Reims, Rouen, ... only from pictures. I think Notre Dame de Paris is nothing special compared to the others, it just has the advantage of being in the centre of Paris. I haven't heard of Dalida, and don't remember seeing the monument from my trips in Paris. Missed Montmartre cemetery (but went to most other cemeteries in Paris, they are wonderful). My list of places would mainly include buildings, especially art nouveau (Barcelona, Bruxelles, maybe Riga, Prague, Budapest) plus Albi Cathedral (southwestern France). I have spent considerable time in Paris, and some time in Berlin (I lived in Berlin for 7 years, but spend all my time studying!) and Vienna, but only one day trip to London. That is something I will rectify some time (spending more time in London, provided the weather is acceptable and I can find cheap accommodation, preferably staying for free with a friend like in Vienna). Of the places others mention, I have been to Paris, Egypt (Pyramids, Luxor, Karnak, Abu Simbel, around 1991), Athens, Jerusalem, Angkor Wat. But there is a difference between exploring places by your own over weeks and months and speaking the language (Paris, Thailand), and going on group tours for one week (holidays with my parents when I was a child: Egypt, Sicily, Greece, Ireland, Israel).

You should get the boy's phone number to call him directly and ask if he is at work now. Works with one boy I know. I know that feeling, coming for a particular boy (but I don't call because I know it's pointless) and he is not in. Then trying to find out if and when he will come back. My two favorite massage boys in Bangkok are away. With one I have lost contact (phone, Line, will inquire in his working place if they know where he went), the other is in his home town (and we talked a few times on the phone, he has no money to come to Bangkok - my estimate less than 200 Baht and 3 hours trip - and asks me to send him money online). It takes me several tries until I find a boy I want to have massage with again, every time spend about 500 + 1000 Baht and two hours including travel.

Recently visited Phuket (stayed in Patong) and was pleasantly surprised, all the bad press is unjustified in my opinion. However currently they don't allow chairs and umbrellas on the beach. If you just want beach, I would go to a mainland beach (but can't recommend any, I am not a beach person) to save time and cost for ferry and I assume prices are higher on islands as everything has to be transferred.

What do you mean by "travel buddy"? Genuine traveling in Thailand (provinces other than Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Phuket) or just meet for a drink and chat?

Go to saunas.

It's true, there is barbed wire on top of the walls (that do not reach the ceiling). Someone must have been brain dead to put barbed wire in a sauna darkroom / labyrinth.

Not much about gay Ubon on the web (search ubon ratchathani gay). I will go in a few days, does anyone have updates on the data above? Looking for sauna, massage, disco, karaoke, cruising areas, moneyboys, not interested in online dating.

Can you tell a bit more about Kai? How long has he been working there and what does he look like? I am looking for techniques similar to your description. One wrong word ("How much do you tip?" "Do you want chuk wao?") can destroy everything for me, best not to speak at all during massage.

I haven't made a hotel booking in years (despite being bombarded with advertising), only walk in. That would be my recommendation to see first how close the hotel really is to the beach, and then ask for vacancies at the reception. Even in high season always found a place to sleep. Impracticable if you have heavy luggage or don't know the way.

Yes, they like to spy on others but don't want be watched by others. And then there are those who have sex in group room, but don't want others to touch them (maybe they just don't want ME to touch them, but it's too dark to see who is touching; and while I can feel skin temperature and body fat and underwear and match it to a boy I have seen before in light, the boy I touch cannot match the hand with other customers). But the darker the merrier, in utter darkness everyone is fooling around with everyone, but I find it totally un-erotic. In Men Factory (Silom Soi 2/1) they put barbed wire (!!!) on top of the walls to prevent this, beside low numbers of customers a reason for me not to go there again.

I didn't pay attention to water color, but noticed a smell of chlorine the last time I was in Copa (over a year ago), which I like very much (the chlorine smell from swimming pool, I know it's weird, but I love it). Never noticed this smell in Classic Boys (have been several times, last time over 1 year ago).

I have been lamenting darkness in saunas for a long time, glad to hear I am not alone. Babylon fares quite well in this aspect, I should go more often because it's the best lit place. Elsewhere it's so dark, you can't see if it's a man or a woman, Asian or White, old or young. But darkrooms is where the action takes place. On a recent sauna visit (Muffil Ladprao 113), half of the customers were in the darkroom, I got groped many times. The other half were walking around elsewhere in the sauna, paying no attention to each other. I say: a darkroom is a place where you can have sex with someone you wouldn't want to have sex with in light. Count me out. There is one place that has little artificial light, but enough natural light, as long as sun is shining. I have to schedule my visits to take place from 5 to 7 pm, before it get's dark.

I don't know of any theme night for sneaker/socks, and I have been to many places and observe the scene. Boys in Happy Boys Pattaya Soi Yensabai wear (used to wear? haven't been for a while) socks.

I haven't been, but it's on my list. I wouldn't pay much attention to their advertising, take Hijack (former Gaya) "only the brave and big cock" - what a bullshit!

One of my Thai friends calls it "smell my cheek".

Bringing democracy to Arab countries utterly failed: Libya, Egypt, Iraq, and I would very much prefer the previous state (stability under a dictatorship, compared to chaos under local warlords).

New bar with new owner and new boys or just changed name (former X-Boys Land)? Last year and this year when I poked my head into X-Boys and X-Boys Land, there were low numbers of boys, so I didn't enter. There were reports about boys moving between bars (not enough boys to operate two bars?).

Taxi drivers have an idea what a certain trip would cost by meter, and usually ask twice that amount. It's easy to avoid these, I used them only twice in five years of coming to Thailand: my very first ride from the airport and Songkran last year (but only because I had a drunken boy in tow, otherwise I would have taken the bus). Back to the subject. I think dictatorship is viable alternative to democracy. Centuries ago, Whites tried to force Christianity on other people, fortunately these times are over. Now they try, and usually fail, to bring democracy to others.

Are you looking for prostitution or sex for free? For the first, there is plenty in Pattaya, although most of the boys in bars wouldn't fit your preferences. For the second, try Sansuk sauna. Are you White or Asian or else and are you looking for White or Asian or else? Just curious.

Take a look at adverts in gay magazines (free for example in Balcony and Telephone, often with address in Thai or map). There are plenty of gay discos (Thai style) and Karaoke around. It's different from the bars in Soi 4 or DJ station, you might be disappointed (see Alexx' comments). I wrote about some of these places in my blog, there are many more I will go some time, alone or with friends.

I spent Monday 25.08. in Phuket town (after checking out of my hotel in Patong in the morning), there was some medium and heavy rain during day. Then took bus around 6 pm to Bangkok. Looks like I was the last person to get out dry. "After me, the flood" ("Après moi, le déluge"), literally!

pong, can you elaborate on free WiFi in Bangkok? When you see a WiFi network that is not secured, you often have to log in with username and password once you open the browser, or am I missing something? I saw the signs for free WiFi, but whenever I checked (a few times, then I gave up), there was nothing.

You can find boys who are attracted to you, mainly in saunas and discos, but there is no guarantee. You can try online as well, but for me it has become a waste of time (poor pictures, long distances and traffic jam in Bangkok - but not in Pattaya!, general unreliability). If you want daytime company, renting is the best solution. Take a look at older posts in this or other forums for bar reviews.