Outlook

Being now overworked, I don't really have time to plan my next trip to Thailand – let alone updating this blog. And I am still waiting for better opportunities to book my flight with reasonable schedule and price … as long as you don't have secured your next flight ticket, it's still hard to plan your next trip, and even to realize that there will be a next one.

There will be one for sure, and hopely many more, as I am still hoping to be able to retire next year. But you are never sure in these days, as delaying retirement age seems to be the only tool that most governments want to use to address their most urgent financial needs. A lack of imagination and a crime against justice and freedom if you ask me.

So no plan for now excepting meeting with my boyfriend probably in his place in the North where he has at last found a job after some bad health problems. The news of my next retirement has not fallen into deaf ears and he is now trying to convince me to spend it in his province. Well I do not think I would be able to live upcountry for a whole year, and even to spend a whole 12-months in Thailand. Too many commitments here, too many hobbies I like and I could not be deprived of. My first goal would be to be able to spend two months or more in Thailand, be it in Bangkok or Pattaya and with trips to small towns – just to experience what freedom looks like.

In the meantime, I am still in contact with the Camfrog boys I have met, but finding new ones is more difficult. The limitations to access most rooms from outside Thailand are still in place, and I understand that from the thai side, the pictures disappear after 30 seconds – not a lot of time left for flirting ...

However the boy I met last time in Khorat (ten minutes for chat, twenty minutes for sex and bye-bye)sends me fiery love messages and would like to spend more time with me. He is the next-door type and is not shy in bed although claiming that I was his first kiss … not sure about this when reading his Facebook page …I think I will invite him to come in Bangkok for some days, and will serve as a guide for this country boy who seems to be more interested in shopping than in late night gay venues.  Sorry no picture allowed for now.

Happy New Year 2013

Food for thought

Visions on Jomtian Beach

This 10-days stay in Pattaya was as usual the time for resting, cooling down, and lazying in the sun not only for fun, but also for health reasons I explained some years ago. So the pattern of my days were quite the same : hotel roof-top in the morning, Jomtien Beach  in the afternoon, and the bars at night. But besides the growing sadness to see the time elapsing so quickly and the end of my vacation soon being over, something new was entering my mind every day :  the thought I should begin to think over what I will do when I will have plenty of time for me.

Economic crashdown allowing, I should retire in about 14 months time, which leaves me about one year to make plans. Not an easy task when from one day to another you may learn of any bad news dashing the huge hope of finally leaving the rat race and leading the life you want after so many years of hard work. Useless to say I am still thinking about it, although it becomes more and more obvious I will not stay in Thailand for the whole year : an ageing mother, family links, and financial constraints, will probably force me to limit the duration of my stays. But every "rooms for rent" sign made my heart leap : at last these signs are not ALWAYS for other people, one day they will interest me too.

There is no need to comment about what everyone can read on the boards : more and more arabic and russian presence, less and less bars, and very few people in Boyztown. However I thought there is still no other place on earth like Pattaya, and I could not imagine ignoring it despite the fact I love to visit the provinces.

I could not find a new favourite bar to hang out the way I used to hang out in Threezone Bar. Diamond Bar was a little too big for me, Samorn's Bar could have done the trick but the boys did not seem to be really concerned. I guess I will have to see the new avatar of Threezone Bar, which I could not visit, having to leave before their opening. Finally I spent some time in CU Bar which has very frisky boys, and I could not escape a drink behind the famous screens : with two boys all over me and two other boys helping themselves with farangs facing my table, quite a nice experience …

I also had the surpise to find a boy I had offed a very long time ago and who is now a part-time waiter at Eros Boys. I could not recognise him but I had already noticed him when he approached me : in fact he was the boy I would anyway have chosen. "Hello, do you remember me, I am P.. from Four Seasons Bar". He wanted to go to my room and then to his place, and then to a room above the bar, which I declined for various reasons. We finally ended in a small  room besides the bar – a place appartently designed for this purpose, and it did not take long for me to show him my appreciation. A great face, and the lean and dark-skinned body I cherish above all. I asked him why he could remember me so well, "because you were one of the very few thai-speaking farangs I ever met" was his answer – another incentive for learning thai I had not thought of. 

European atmosphere

However I spent most of my time with my boyfriend, who had further health problems. I will never forget the time when he came back from the dental surgery, shivering and suffering as I had never seen before. Fortunately things went better and we were able to made our trip to Bang Sare for another seafood adventure. He decided then to bring me to the Big Buddha mountain and to the neighbouring vineyard (Silver Lake resort) where they try to recreate some européean atmosphere.

Another evening was devoted to the mor-lam concert on Third Road but I was a little disappointed by the artists they had on that night (not a well-known singer but an orchester from Khon Kaen), and also by the less than comfortable conditions – if your friends insist on finding a chair, this will not be for allowing the old farang to sit down, but for having a place to keep the drinks …

All in all we got along well despite the fact I had not invited him to my isan trip ; to speak the truth he was working when I was preparing my trip and reserving my flights, and so I could not imagine he would be free. He will have now to find a stable job so that he will be able to buy the car he is dreaming of – and which I am financially unable to pay for. But this is another story.

Rediscovery

Four days in Bangkok : this is probably the longest stay I have made in Bangkok since at least twelve years. In order to rediscover the town for a longer time, I even gave up going to Hua Hin for one night, partly beacuse I thought it was a long and dangerous ride for so little time. Sorry for Chico Bar where I guess the boys are as welcoming as before, sorry for the other new bars,  I will have to wait the not so far blessed time when I should have some more time on my hands.

Although I like to visit the bars in Bangok and elsewhere, and hope that they will last for a long time, I have to confess I let them down a little ; Except for a short visit to the neighbouring Be High and to Classic Boys, I found once again my entertainment with boys I had known from Camfrog.  The first one was the boy I had met last June in Mahasarakham, as he is now working in Bangkok. We met at his working place in a distant suburb in Latphrao area, and I guess he was surprised to see I had not broken my promise to see him. We quickly came back to Saphan Kwai for a meal in my usual restaurant and then headed for a karaoke, as I knew he was a very good singer – when he sings Phai Phongsathon songs, it seems I am listening to the original singer. Unfortunately he wanted a karaoke with individual boxes and this is not the format they have in the Saphan Kwai bars … so back to my room where his shyness completely disappeared. He still has the body of a 16 year old boy (despite being 22) and I could cuddle this nice isan boys for the whole night and once again on the next afternoon : he seemed to be much more interested staying in the room than visiting the Grand Palace though he had never visited it before.

The other boy which I had dated was this young guy from Samut Prakarn that I had called Mr. Goody Goody in a former post. He could come alone to Saphan Kwai, where I still had to wait for him at the BTS station. The night was another touching and fondling  festival and more ; I sent him back to Samut Prakan on the following day, but I realise now he had hoped to stay with me sor a longer time. Sorry boy, I am rather of the butterfly variety …

The rest of my days was used to "working" on the net (for example updating this blog !), with some heavy rainfalls preventing me from going outside as much as I had wanted. I also went to the Chatujak area, especially in the neigbouring park where many people come to rest after the strenuous visit to the market : some eye-candy to be seen and a pleasant and fresh area right in the middle of the awful traffic of people visiting the market.

Lazy times in Chatuchak Park

When being alone at night, I used to have a meal in Dicks Café ; dining alone in Rakhang Thong or another fine restaurant would have been  completely out of place. A short stroll brought me to the new Super A where this 22 y.o boy from Udon catched my eyes with his lean body and shy face : OK for a massage on the premises where they still have the rooms that were used when the place was a massage-only shop. What a pity they have recycled the former Super A mamasan into the official janitor of the rooms, with a mandatory 100 THB tip for getting a large amount of condoms. The boy was good but did not want to kiss.

Instead of going back to Saphan Kwai, I wanted to have another look at the Grand Palace area where I chose once again to walk rather than touring the place on a taxi. Definitely more boys than the last time I went, with some nice ones especially on the east side along Khlong Lot. Just across the canal, there is a long standing cafe/bar, open till late, which nobody ever tells about despite having quite a good patronage. Although not being 100 % gay, this City Walk Pub and Karaoke could be a very convenient basis for exploring the area.

I like being alone in Bangkok, there is always something to do, to see and to visit. End of freedom for the next 10 days in Pattaya where the boy-friend is awaiting me, but I know I will be able to visit many bars alone – result of the gentleman's agreements we had some years ago.

Or tourist ?

Cute boat competitor in Nong Khai

No Camfrog boy in Nong Khai, just the wish to look at the Mae Khong, and add another province to the list of the places I have spent at least one night (28 and counting ...). And also to try the ”Oasis Bar” which advertises itself as being the only gay bar in town.

However I was lucky enough to stay in Nong Khai just when the Boat Races took place, which prompted me to stay two nights instead of the one that I had planned. It is not possible to stay blind at the sight of these 40 + teams of brown-skinned and well-toned men doing their best for defending their province (the one I could snap above is for me an absolute cutie). The banks of the river were full of people looking at the races, many of them being groups of young local students offering one of the most beautiful sight I had never seen in Thailand.

As for the bar, forget finding a boy there : it is mostly a nice place to hang out in a good atmosphere close to the river. Do not fancy the gorgeous 17 y/o you could meet there, he is not available and not only for legal reasons. The bar is not within walking distance from the hotels, so you will have to hire a tuk-tuk to go there, which is not really a problem. Do not trust the map on their website : the bar is still further downstream and you will find it among other bars and restaurants between Soi Pho Sri 3 and Pho Sri 4, named from the neighbouring Pho Sri temple.

Oasis Bar in Nong Khai

Udon Thani was my last stop in Isan before taking a flight back to Bangkok. I was rather disappointed by the place but I had probably not enough time to visit it. Boyzone Bar was not bad with a good bunch of boys but the owner told me he could close at the end of the year due to the lack of customers, which he explained by the new internet networks allowing people to meet boys in any town simply by contacting them on-line.

The other Bar (City Man) is still there but as I finished paying 90 THB for a 30 THB Coke I had ordered (mamasan drink ?), I guess its reputation as a place cheating customers is still justified (and I had to stop a boy from bringing me another bottle I had not ordered).

So much for Isan, and back to normal life with some days in Bangkok.

Sex tourist ?

Khorat and Khon Kaen are not really places you would visit for their temples and their tourist attractions. And I did not visit these strange places for these reasons. In fact I wanted to meet two boys that I had known on Camfrog ; as it should not be for discussing philosophy, you would be right labelling me as a sex tourist.

I had visited Khorat some times before, and as the former Boys Bar is now closed since many years, the only reason to go again was this 19 y/o called Art. The boy had been rather blunt in our conversations - although we never had anything lewd on line. He had called me several times to be sure I would visit him and finally he came to my hotel. Like always with thai boys, more sexy than I could have imagined from the poor views we can get on Camfrog. In this case you never know what are the real intentions of the guy who is in front of you, so after some chit chat, I asked him : “do you want to have a meal ?” “Do you want to go somewhere ?” “No” was the answer. Only when I asked him “do you want to play with me”, he told me “yes” immediately . No more words were needed, we did what we had to do with this country boy kissing and hugging as if it was his last day. I gave him 1500 THB “to help for your studies”, he called a friend to take him back home and I slept alone for the night.

My hotel was a typical thai hotel with restaurant, karaoke, cleanliness and good location. It was important to be near the Ya Mo monument as it is the place where boys used to come for selling themselves, and there were some at night when I went there for a last stroll.

Chilling out on Ubonrat dam

In Khon Kaen it was about the same story except for the fact that it lasted longer, and we had been much tamer in our almost daily chats. Nek is a student who has just finished his time at the University, and he was rather a shy and cautious guy. However after some words, I quickly discovered he too was not shy at all when it came to more intimate knowledge. Did he want to find a new experience and escape everyday life, did he hope some financial reward, I will never know but these non professional guys have always been much more willing and affectionate than their counterparts in the bars.

We finished spending two days nights together, the two nights I had planned to stay in Khon Kaen. As we never had spoken about our sexual preferences, it took a little time to adjust as they did not really match, but kissing and stroking are universal ways or spending a good time. During the day we went with two of his friends (girls) spending the afternoon in the Ubonrat area : a huge artificial lake which has some resorts where thai families love to come eating and chilling out in sheds built above the water. Nice atmosphere although the three had much more in common that I could have with the boy. I also gave him some help “for helping find a new job” before leaving.

My hotel was a new one called The Boss Grand Tower, which is the only one close enough to the entertainment with affordable prices : 700 THB a night through Agoda - probably a promotion rate. However I was happy to leave Khon Kaen which is during the day a rather dull city ; it is another matter at night when the students gather in their pubs, U-Bar being the most popular now and deservedly so from what I could see.

Sight-seeing

My second day in Bangkok was just how I wanted it to be : walking in the Silom area, having a light meal in Dick’s Cafe and ending the night by a badly needed massage. Achieving the latest is not always an easy task : I remember having roamed around the area without finding the boy of my dreams and finally going home without entering any shop. It went better this time thanks to one of the four massage place in Soi Twilight - Marso Massage formerly Red Massage - and to one of their lads who happened to be good and really service-oriented.

Beauty is everywhere in Pattaya

I wanted to smell the atmosphere in Pattaya so I am there now for three days before going to isan. I spent the first evening with my boyfriend and treated him to a nice meal from my country, and especially the good bottle of wine which goes with it. So we went to Froggys near the bus station for Bangkok, and I was not disappointed. This time Tam was less positive, but I guess his recent and current health problems were the main reason.

The following day was the usual Sunee Plaza sight-seeing tour on my own. After reading so much during eleven months about what has been going on, I am always excited to check by myself. The news from the boards are generally up-to-date but nothing can replace the personal feeling. What I can say is that the place is really quiet, but you can still have a fantastic time there. I visited three gogo-bars so far : Nice Boys, Mic My Bar and Eros, all had their fair share of customers and boys. Sorry there were too many tatooed guys in Mic My Boy but I could meet an old acquaintance who is the mamasan ( i do not know if he/she is the one who gets so much bad mouth here and there). Nice Boys was very lively but no-one to my taste when I went there. As for Eros, there were not many boys left so I did not visit the private boxes.

As for the beer bars, the advice to try Diamond Bar was a good one as the atmosphere here is very nice and the viewpoint valuable. They seem to do quite good and they even had more customers than the green chairs bar opposite. I also visited Samorn’s Bar but the boys did not seem really interested in new customers although some of them are obviously worth of a new visit - which I will do as soon as possible.

However the news that Threezone Bar has been taken over by two thais was a great one and I hope to be there on the day when they will open. Nostalgia, nostalgia ….

Bus ride

Getting used to the QWERTY keyboard (and also with this f... new Blogger interface) was the hardest thing I had to face during the last 24 hours. As for thai food and beer and streets teeming with cuties, thank you, it’s something I can deal with.

I arrived very quickly at my hotel, having cleared the immigration in less than one minute - the clerks were definitely desperate for customers …. and I was soon joined by my boyfriend who had come back from Pattaya. He had a lot of problems during the last eleven months, including a bad eye sore which will force him to wear glasses, which this nice farang will helpfully pay for. More slim than ever, so we quickly went for a meal in our favorite restaurant in Saphan Kwai ; Rakhang Thong near Elisabeth Hotel is as good as ever, their tom yam is to die for but the fish tasted a little bit bland … not their fault as I had ordered “mai phet”, which they did literally.

Bus ride

We visited only two bars in Saphan Kwai, only to find that the boys were very scarce for a Sunday night : even in Charmming which is known for being well staffed. I guess the students have gone back home for their holidays and helping papa mama harvesting the rice … or could it be another sign that less and less boys go work in the bars even in a thai for thai area ? He is now on the way back to Pattaya where I will meet him again to-morrow.

That leaves me with an evening on my own, so I guess a visit to Silom will be on the list. I would not mind a nice massage to help recovering from my trip … And to-morrow another bus will bring me to Pattaya for a three-days stay. Despite all the bad news we get here and there about the place, I guess this will be another great time to be had.

Race over

No more rain, please

Two hours and I will leave home ... and after a long travel will reach the place which has been my dream for the last 11 months.

No more rat race all day long, no more daily hassles, the rush is over at least for 28 days. The boys will be those I like, not like the overweight thugs that I met in the famous movie theater in Milano I ventured in last August. And there will be many bars too choose from ... a nice change from the disappointment I had when I saw that the Carousel Bar in Zurich - which was brimming with asian boys ten years ago and who still had some nice gipsy boys, was now a restaurant.

Not too much rain, no health trouble, and life will be good ...

Wondering

Two weeks … why is it that I am as excited after 24 holidays in Thailand as after the first one ? It seems there is always everything new to discover in this country, but what is sure is that I can never get bored with the freedom I can enjoy every minute of my stays. And this is why I cannot wait to fly once again to the land of my dreams. I have no big plans for this time. As usual, one short and one long stay (nine days if you can call it long !) in Pattaya, more days in Bangkok than usual, and the sidetrip this year will be for isan towns : Khorat, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and perhaps Nong Khai are on the list. Some new Camfrog acquaintances are not unrelated to this schedule…

What bothers me, besides the floods, is first of all my boyfriend's problems. He had some bad times this year, with a gale which destroyed his house's roof, a motorbike accident which did not left him undamaged, and now an eye infection. Sure some will give a faint smile about this and think these are only variations from the ill buffalo, wounded grandmother and broken phone stories. It could be true … or not, as he had never asked for much money during the almost ten years we have been together. So I wonder what I will find when arriving. One of my concerns is that, should he really need a lot of money, I simply could not help him.

Closed ... where should I go now ?

Another bad news was the closure of Threezone Bar, my favourite venue in Pattaya. It has been for more than twelve years my refuge in Sunee Plaza, the place I liked to hang out in when coming back from the beach or when being on a loose end between two bar visits , a place where I had a lot of friends including the owner Pee Kho who has now disappeared. I guess I will now have to find a new base but my requirements are rather high : good location, nice and not pushy boys, fair prices, and preferably thai owner. Is there only one place like this in Sunee, I wonder …

... and counting !

Long gone are the days when I had promised to myself to update this blog at least once a month … which was enough when I was not in Thailand.

Already nine months and nothing new .. ; I did not even describe the end of my stay in Pattaya, from where I left directly to the airport – for the first time since 15 years … I missed the one or two days I used to stay in Bangkok before leaving, a time which was like a transition back to everyday life. And I will remember for a long time the day I made the trip from Pattaya to Saphan Kwai to retrieve my luggage I had left in the hotel, fearing I would not be able to come back later due to the floods. I felt like fleeing the scene and leaving friends alone to fight the enemy … Finally the water never made its way to Saphan Kwai.

No June trip to Thailand this year, only boring work, daily chores and persistent stress. Camfrog was not the great help it used to be due to still unidentified problems preventing me to access to the most interesting rooms – a problem apparently faced by many fans in Europe. However the few rooms left available were good enough to have some virtual adventures and know more or less thoroughly many new friends.

The good news was that the newly elected government in France held its promise to allow people like me to retire at the age we had hoped for, and this should be in about one year and a half from now. Sure we can retire early in my country, but what is less known is that we (they …) make more children than elsewhere, that our pensions are clearly lower, and the time we have to work before retiring (41 years +) is longer. So much for the bastards who would like to see the working class going directly from labour to the graveyard.

And the best news is that there are only four weeks left before I land once again in Suwanaphum …

En route for 2012

.......................................................... HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

.

Mister Goody Goody

With the floods coming closer every day, I had no time to waste in Bangkok. The Morchit area was already under water, meaning that I could have only three or four days left dry if things had to turn nasty. So I had hardly recovered from my Hua Hin adventures when I decided to call back the Samut Prakan boy. We agreed to meet again at the Baering BTS Station which is the current terminus of the Sukhumwit line (extension to Samut Prakan is due to be completed in 2014).

Once again he arrived on time, walking like a cat despite his lanky body. I proposed him to have a meal in the Silom area, which is a fourty minutes journey away. He had told me he had never used the BTS network alone, which could well be true. I chose to go to Dick's Cafe just for the atmosphere, as I had absolutely no intention to bring him to any gogo bar. Sure this is not the best eating place in town but you cannot beat the place in Bangkok for seeing the world go by in a not too noisy atmosphere. We chatted about this and that, he told me he was gay but no friend of him knew it and it hardly surprised me as Samut Prakan is still wery far from Bangkok in terms of tolerance and open-mindedness. As for me, I was more and more impressed by his big black eyes and his attitude, without daring to ask him how he would like to end the evening. I felt really like a teen trying to date his first love – although being perfectly aware the my wallet was probably a big part of the equation.

I brought him then to Soi 4 which was more bustling than ever being on a Friday night. We had still a drink or two on the Balcony terrasse ; I had already noticed that many people were looking at this fresh and innocent boy – probably a rare commodity in the area. So it was no surprise when a waiter brought him a slip of paper where someone had written in thai : "So lovely …" and a phone number. He was smart enough not to give any attention at it ; was he used to this kind of message or did he suddenly realise that he could be a subject of desire by other men, I will never know. Just before leaving, I finally asked whether he would come to my hotel or go back home ; the decision had to be made before the Siam change station where our ways would diverge.

On the Siam platform, he said me – in thai, as his english is very poor : "OK I go with you but we do not do anything". It was already good news for me : looking at him the whole night long was enough to keep me happy. So after a last drink in Waterloo Bar, one of the Saphan Khwai karaoke, we went to bed in the most platonic way. I thought I had met a very righteous boy who only wanted to know a farang man as part of an experience.

It did not last long. Without a word, the first physical contact in bed was the beginning of a long cuddling and kissing and exploring and exploding. At 6 o'clock on the following morning, he was again all over me and I clearly felt something long and hot trying to find its way between my buns. "Too much, to soon" I told him and he went on groping and kissing till late in the morning.

One week later, I met him again in Pattaya where I had convinced him to come and join me, although he had told he had never gone so far on his own. I brought him to the "Oh Aharn Thai" restaurant, and then to the Panorama Pub. Finally, we went to one of the gogobars in the area where he was quickly approached by the mamasan who was seemingly trying to recruit him. We told about all this, and it was another night of uninhibited pleasure.

On the following day, we went to the Buddha Hill, and then to Dongtan Beach and then further towards Jomtien ; I had to make all the schedule, he seemed to accept and to be interested by anything I wanted to show him. When asked whether he liked where he was or not, he always answered telling "chew chew" – the thai slang word meaning "chill out" – making a V with his fingers.

Genuine rookie, or casual moneyboy ; I still cannot figure. We are still in touch through Camfrog and I hope to meet him on my next trip (should there be one), but I really cannot imagine whom I will meet again. What I will remember is an unexpected refreshing experience, which is exactly what I am looking for when I come to Thailand.

Hua Hin

Shame on me for not updating the blog while being in Thailand … I guess I should get one of those notebooks allowing me to prepare my masterpiece in the room or at the beach rather than in some internet shop … My boyfriend Tam is luckier than me on this one : he convinced me to transfer to his account the money needed for buying one … but for himself. Poor farang with his old-fashioned mobile phone and not being able to afford all the modern electronic gadgets that every thai boy must have ..

After the long trip from Chiang Mai, I would have loved to stay quiet in Bangkok, but the floods were getting closer to Saphan Kwai ; the first thing I made on the following day was looking through the window checking that the car park in front of my hotel was still dry .. and it was. Should I go to Pattaya and come to Bangkok two weeks later when the floods could have receded, or should I spend the time I wanted to stay in Bangkok immediateley, and then go to Pattaya ? I decided for the first option, as the floods seemed to be quite slow approaching the inner part of Bangkok. This proved to be the right decision but it was a long time of pondering and worrying.

I did not stay long in Bangkok however ; I wanted to know better Em, this boy from Camfrog who had told me he was in Hua Hin. I also wanted to be on my own after ten days with Tam, who staid alone in Bangkok - and I know he likes it too. So here I was at Victory Monument to find the rot too going there … Not that I like being seated in a cramped mini van recklessly speeding on the highway but the other means of transportation – public bus or train - are not convenient at all when you have little time to waste.

I arrived in Hua Hin along with droves of Bangkok residents fleeing the floods ; however my favorite hotel had still a room for me. Being there for one night meant I had to meet the boy, and then visiting the bars, all this within three hours … so I was almost relieved when the boy answering my phone call told me he was not Em, he did not know him and never heard of him. Surprising as this was a phone number I had already used to call him from my country... I also could have got in touch with him using Camfrog, but finding an internet shop with Camfrog in the touristy part of Hua Hin is not an easy task. The last chance was to meet him in one of the bars, but this did not happen.

I conscientiously visited each bar of the Hua Hin scene which had nicely developped since last year. Red Indian had only three boys, and the Nong Khai boy who stroke up a chat with me was not really my style, so I went on to Grasshopper Bar. I noticed a group of four, one of them being a wonderful young guy but they did not make a lot of eye contact. Hearing that the place had a massage service, I promised myself to come back should I not find the gem I was looking for.

From there, you just have to follow a bad-lit soi, cross the main street (which is the hardest part of any stay in this resort) and reach soi 81, one of the best night areas in town with many low-key girl bars, nice and cheap guesthouses, and now two boys bar – one of which having turned to girls since I went there. Few boys in each bar, so it was time to go to Chico Bar.

Fortunately I had already visited the place, as the motorsai driver did not know it, and I nearly missed the place now well-hidden behind a row of bushes. This bar was by far the best one in the evening despite Em not being there … Among the many nice lads working there, there was this 18 y/o guy from Ratchaburi : he would be the first guy I ever offed in Hua Hin, and also the first boy I offed during this trip.

To know more about this great place, go to this recent thread on Sawatdee Forum (by Smiles, an old resident in Hua Hin),
http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/new-ish-gay-bar-the-boonies-chico-hua-hin-t24185.html?hilit=Hua%20Hin
or to their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/CHICO-BAR-HUA-HIN/181212931934257?sk=photos

Behind the bushes ...

Some hours later, I was back in Bangkok after another hair-rising experience and the strange feeling that with all these cars parked along the bridges and the slightest puddle possibly announcing a disaster, I would not want to stay too long in the area.

By the way, Em is now working in Chico Bar and can be seen on one of the very enticing pictures provided on the Sawatdee thread.

Sober in Chiang Mai

Hot in San Kamphaeng

Being with Tam, I had a very quiet stay in Chiang Mai. In fact most of my energy was used to visit further places around the town with the help of our rented car. So we could make it to Lamphun and its temple, the Samoeng loop in the mountains, and a new visit to the San Kampeng hot springs.

At night I did not forget to visit the main bars and found them to be as good as ever, be it Freeguys, New My Way or Adam's Apple. The shows are daring enough but very similar one to another, with a lot of nudity.. Only Freeguys has a male-only show, the other two having some katoey show as well. I did not go to Circle Pub as I know that this place has never been up to my taste.

Another evening was spent in the sleazy allay near Night Bazaar, but I have to say I was not impressed at all by the freelancers who hang around there. The atmosphere did not look as bad as it has been written here and there.

Finally I found the most stunning boys in Chiang Mai were the ones working as waiters in the Sabaidee Pub and Restaurant - a rather hard to find place near Santitham Plaza (look at their website for directions : http://www.sabaideesantitham.co ). Tasteful decoration, cute waiters, great food for a very resonable price, what do you want more ? Another magic place not to miss in Chiang Mai.

I am now in Bangkok after a strenuous 14 hours bus transfer following the cancellation of Nok Air flights. Bad luck I guess but the 1st class Nakhornchai busses are comfortable enough to support such a long punishment. Let now the plan to conquer the Samut Prakan boy's heart now go into action !


Hot in San Kampeng

Raw nature

The first part of my stay is now over ; not a lot about the boys here - although they are never far when you are in Thailand - and everything about what Thailand has also to offer besides its male citizens.

As scheduled we got our rented car in Phitsanulok and this was not your usual Honda Jazz ; knowing that the roads will be tough, I had splashed out on a big four wheel Toyota Vigo, not the car that I would dare to drive at home if you ask me. My boyfriend Tam was happy about this choice and he drove most of the way, except in the really windy mountain roads which I am more used to.

Unfortunately the bar I had read about in Phitsanulok seems to have closed, at least we could not find it at the location it was supposed to be. I rather think that once again, the information I had being from thai people, it was probably false or incomplete as we spent one hour exploring this famous Soi 19 where nothing was to be seen looking like an open bar or even a closed one.

Our first stop was in Mae Sot and we made the mandatory trip to the so-called Friendship Bridge on the Burmese border. A rather curious place where burmese people come and sell their things - mostly cigarettes - down from the walkway which stretches along the thai side of the river, and under the view of the thai soldiers. Among them, some teenagers who would have a lot of success should they have sold something, say, more private ...

Refugee camp near the border

Our second day was along the thai-burmese border on very quiet roads with not a lot of people around except for many police controls. I was especially impressed by a huge refugee camp after Mae Ramat, hundreds of wooden houses all over the hills seeming to shelter so many unfortunate people fleeing their country. Probably a heavy burden for the thai Government. Besides this, there were viewpoints, waterfalls, caves, and a 50 km stretch of a rather small road on the borders of Tak and Mae Hong Son provinces, without any village, gas station, or eating place. You guess that finally arriving in Mae Sariang was a relief. A locale karaoke gave a nice end to the day.

Mae Sariang - Mae Hong Son was a more civilised stage although with countless curves, and more beautiful waterfalls. To Tam's dispair, the Thung Dok Bua Tong (the Mexican sunflower field) had not blossomed yet, but the Mae Surin waterfall on the same road was in good shape after all this rain. Thanks to a thai guidebook, we visited a little gem of a cave in Mae La Noi ; Kaew Komon Cave Forest Park is a calcite cave and the glittering calcite shines sparklingly in the cave walls, making it look like ice (no picture allowed). In Mae Hong Son, we staid in the Bayoke Chalet Hotel, which doubles at night as a disco for the local teenagers, and of course we could not miss the opportunity to have a drink. Mae Hong Son population is mostly Thai Yai, and this is a guarantee for fine-looking well-built young men. Also not to be missed is also climbing up the hill which offers great views over the ton. At dusk it is also a flirting place for the local youth.

A long rest in a mud spa only 17 km from Mae Hong Son was enough for being ready for the following day which lead to Pai ; fantastic viewpoints over the mountains, another beautiful cave near Phang Ma Pha (Tham Lot, where the river flows through the cave) made another great day. In Pai the atmosphere was more touristy, with a huge amount of mostly young farangs, as Pai is known as a paradise for travelers.The population has kept his smile though, and the prices are still reasonable. The C Bar which is sometimes advertised as a gay bar is a very small bar but it seems that only the owner here is gay.

Mae Hong Song from above

Pai was the first step back to bustling thai cities but it was still quiet, probably to the once again long and windy route leading there. We had still another hot spring and a waterfall to look at before finally arriving in Chiang Mai. Back to the bars and the boys, although the experiences with the boyfriend in tow should be more tame than when I come alone ...

Noo (rising tone)

Noo (rising tone) is the thai word for "mouse" ; it is also the way parents call their children, or teachers their young pupils. But this boy wants me to call him "noo" as well, and he also always call me "than" which is the pronoun that you should use for people you respect (your parents). He is definitely not a child, and I have been chatting with this this 19y/o guy on Camfrog since about two months. He had told me that when I would see him for real, I would flee the scene because he was not handsome ... of course I was not worried as I know that for some unexplained reason, thai boys always look better in real life than through any camera.

I wanted to meet him near his place, and not near my hotel so that he would not feel ill at ease. And here I am, like a pre-teen going to his first date, sitting in the BTS train towards the new Bearing Station, as he lives in nearby Samut Prakan Province. The appointment place was not romantic at all as there is an easy to find Esso gas station just under the BTS. I even did not have to wait too long, and he appeared on the back of a motorsai. As handsome as I had imagined, as shy as I had guessed when chatting. We went to the nearby Imperial Word commercial center and had some steaks in a thai only atmosphere (BTW Samut Prakan province is a very populous area with heaps of nice boys all over) . We never had talked about sex on Camfrog, and we never talked sex either on our first meeting. I do not even know whether he is a king or a queen. And I cannot figure why he wants to talk with me ...curiosity, money or anything else. He laughed, I laughed, we promised to meet again and I think we will. I had brought some eau de toilette for him, and slipped a banknote in his hand, telling him it was for helping him start studying again.

He is a common next-door thai boy, meaning a very handsome, always smiling and very easygoing lad. Will we go further together ? Time will tell, but I guess I will have to make the first move if I want him in my bed, which is of course the ultimate goal. Anyway a refreshing experience, so different from the relations with your usual thai rent boy.

This was my first night in Thailand and I did not go anywhere else ; going back from Samrong, I made a short visit to the Silom area for a drink in Dicks Cafe ; I did not see a lot of customers in the whole soi. Same in Soi 6 area where there was almost no one in the Thai Boys 2011 Massage place, but it was already 11 pm and I guess you should come much earlier to see the nice guys the place is well-known for. I was too tired for going to Super A Bar, this will be for a next time as I plan to stay in Bangkok longer than before.

The travel to Thailand with Lufthansa was a breeze with very few travellers at Immigration in Suwanaphum airport. During my waiting time in Frankfurt, I wanted to go to downtown where I had a one month work experience about 38 years ago : I did not find anything I had known then and the closest thing to this period of my life was a beer in Romerplatz. I could not find either the "Come-In" hustler bar which I just wanted to visit, despite being in the right street. And I could see once again how quickly my formerly good knowledge of German language has gone away...

I am now awaiting my boyfriend Tam, and we will fly to-morrow to Phitsanulok where we will start our trip to the North with a rent car. Not many boys bars for a while I guess except for the special mission I have been assigned with, namely exploring the only gay bar in Phitsanulok.

I just hope that Don Muang airport will stay clear of flooding like Bangkok is until now. You would not even know of this threatening disaster when staying in downtown Bangkok for now, if there were not some rare shops (mostly Seven Eleven and banks) having built brick protection walls just in case. Phitsanulok should be better as everyone says the situation in the North is improving again.

Halcyon days or ...

Rayong boy in Gayromeo

Thirty three hours more and I will land at Suwanaphum airport .. or wherever. I made more planning this time than ever and everything could as well be cancelled because of the terrible floods that thai people have to face now.

I can only hope that I will be able to fly from Don Muang to Phitsanulok on next Tuesday, as the situation in the North looks much better than in Bangkok. From there on, it will be travelling the way I like it : a car, a boy - my boyfriend of eight years - and freedom to stop and to go where we wish. Should the weather be nice, it could be great from Mae Sot to Chiang Mai via Mae Hong Son .. albeit without any boy bar (except one I have spotted in Pai).

Until then, I have only to pray that Saphan Kwai will stay dry so that I can taste the atmosphere once again - my own old ways should come back very quickly . If no one of the Camfrog boys is free, it could as well be a trip to some massage place in the Silom area ... And if the area is wet, the closest boy bar is only one hundred meters from my hotel.

Holidays have begun and the magic is here once again.

Waterfalls

Thai are crazy with waterfalls ... OK some are worth the visit but many others are really very ordinary, at least for this mountain boy.

However I guess that this eagerness to visit the slightest cascade could have something to do with the atmosphere that you generally find in these places. They offer a nice relief for those wanting to escape the scorching heat, and especially during week-ends, many people gather with their families or whatever group they belong. Could this be the main reason why waterfalls attract so many people ?

National parks

Some will think I am busier at visiting new provinces than new national parks. They may be right, but should not forget that it is easy to go to every town in Thailand, but you have to be on your own wheels as soon as you want to go in the sticks. Moreover, I cannot come to Thailand during the best months, and being in the middle of nowhere in the mud and surrounded by all kinds of mosquitoes and leeches is not my idea of hard-earned holidays.

There are 48 national parks in Thailand and I think I only visited 4 of them : Doi Inthanon and Doi Suthep-Pui in Chiang Mai, Mae Yom in Phrae and Had Nopparatthara-Mu Ko Phi Phi in Krabi. And each one for too short visits. However, more will follow next month during the planned trip to North Thailand. Many others are on the must-do list.

On the top of the list are most isaan parks, among them Phu Kradung (picture above) which is well-known for providing fantastic natural views ...