Last treats in Bangkok

Coming back from Pattaya at noon, I had only thirty-three hours left before leaving my hotel room for the airport ... making the best of the little time available was an obvious necessity. As soon as I had unpacked, I quickly proceeded to the Sutthisan massage shops for a third visit.

K Way gay massage ... how dare they !

These three shops are clustered along Sutthisan, about 1 km from the Saphan Khwai intersection (walking is not pleasant because of uneven sidewalks and heavy traffic) ; the shop frontages are difficult to spot as they are very discreet and their name is sometimes not written or only in thai : City Spa, Inthara Spa and Home Spa in that order when coming from Saphan Kwai. They have the same owner, who has just bought a fourth place (former Vanda Spa) which he has very boldly named K-Why (only thai language on the window) ! I hope that the local police will be lenient enough !

Similar to the first two times, I went to Home Spa but this time I was shown a tablet with pictures of the boys ; on my former visits they just opened a venetian blind for me to choose among more than 20 boys. I had already made a short list of the guys I wanted with their name, and the short list was long enough to get one of the chosen lads .. easier at 4 pm than two hours later I guess.

These shops do not always get good reviews on the Thai Massage website : their Line accounts show very promising boys, some of them videoed during sexy training sessions, or even in full hard action ... So expectations from the customers are great and many complain that the boy they had chosen was not available, or that the service was not satisfying.

Korn (from Line account)

I could have complained too : my first boy (on my first day in Bangkok) did a good massage but was not interested into further action, but at least he had been OK for cuddling and hugging ; the second one did not even accept close contact fearing getting dirty from the oil he had generously smeared over my body ! But his body was so perfect that I still have a good memory of him ; he had worked in the buff from the beginning, seemingly in compliance with the shop policy.

This third boy fully made up for the former ones. Korn, a 19 years old Thai Yai massaged me strongly enough until he began to work my back sitting naked on my butt. This is a situation when I am sorry to tell I usually lose completely my mind, and he responded with great talent. Of course he was duly rewarded and I will for sure go again with him if by chance he is still there next time - a very unlikely possibility as there seems to be a high turn-over among the boys in these shops.

I was smiling all the way back to my hotel despite this evening being the last one for this trip.

New and old gay Bangkok

After seven days in Pattaya (instead of scheduled two days), I finally came back to Bangkok for a short stay in Saphan Kwai, my home away from home. These round trips are a waste of time for sure but I do not feel like staying in one place for more than a week, especially in Pattaya where I am quickly done with daily routine and too many foreigners.

Soi Twilight being now closed, I feel less attracted to the Silom area than before, when I used to sit at Dick's Cafe watching the people pass by and glancing at the nearby massage shops. Eating at Foodland is however a good excuse to go there more than once, if only to roam the sois and the streets where I had felt such strong emotions when discovering my first gay bars 23 years ago.

I staid mostly in Patphong and paid a visit to Lucky Boys which got good reviews on the webboards, but was not impressed by the staff .. As for open air bars, I could only imagine how nice it would be to have some of the current ground level bars in Phatphong 2 being turned into boys bars : sitting around a circular counter sipping a beer or three and looking at boys is exactly my idea of beginning a nice evening before possibly taking a lad off for more intimate activities. Many girl bars have this layout in Pattaya or Bangkok, but I cannot remember any boy bar arranged like this.

Less time in Silom means more time to go elsewhere, so I had the opportunity to visit the few remaining bars in Saphan Khwai. As already said, Adam and Heaven are now closed and their location is now being renovated for whatever purpose. In U-Turn, they honestly said they had no boys (it was on a week day, so I guess they have some on Fridays and Saturdays). In Street Boy, you have to open a bottle so individual visitors are clearly not welcomed. D-Door was more friendly but the boys were already busy with regular customers.

Stax Bar in Saphan Kwai

Finally my choice for the best bar in Saphan Kwai would be Stax, without any hesitation :attentive and welcoming staff, large premises with an overall nice atmosphere. I had a long chat with one of the staff (31 y/o but looking ten years less, from Tak) who explained me that his bar was very lively especially after 10,00 until late in the night. Customers invite boys to drink spirits at their table and, if not taken off, the guys get an usual 100/200 baht tip - which seems a little bit low if you ask me. The boys do not come before 22.00, and I actually could see - on a week day - a bunch of five nice hilltribe lads descending on the place at about 21,45.

If you can speak some thai, Saphan Kwai at large has a lot more to offer and to explore, mostly massage places of which I will tell more later. I am sorry I had not the stamina to investigate further : for example, I have yet to explore this "Khithung" bar in Soi 21 which I saw only during daytime and is still listed as a "gay pub" on the Thailand Gay Guide website.

Impermanence

Soi Twilight to be closed, huge cranes everywhere in Greater Bangkok, new BTS lines opening soon ... Bangkok is constantly changing, for the best or for the worst. Difficult to believe that according to some scientists, the town will be flooded in thirty years or so : life goes on, BTS trains are jam-packed during the whole day, and cuties abound everywhere. 

In my home far away from some, namely the Saphan Kwai area, street vendors who until now had run their business as usual, seem to slowly disappear from the pavement, probably chased away by the new policy. More and more shops have opened to replace them, as well as an open air food ground nearby. Good or bad ? Obviously good as long as the pathway upgrading works go on, but another blow to the traditional Bangkok atmosphere.

Even in my hotel, a full renovation has begun, leaving me taken aback when I discovered it when coming back from to the local internet shop. Fortunately it seems that I won't have to find a new accommodation, even if it means a small price hike which would be justified. I have fallen in love with the place almost twenty years ago and would not have liked to change : the place was more and more showing its age, but still remains one of the best-kept secrets in Bangkok.

Although staying in Saphan Kwai, I did not visit the local bars a lot. I had a bad experience in Street Boy where they served me a drink I had not ordered, and older bars mostly did not try to drag me inside ... what a change from Soi Twilight ! However I found some nice faces when glancing at the boys sitting outside D-Door et Heaven ; as both are karaokes, I am always reluctant to enter when I am alone and not touted inside.

I went most evenings to Silom area, but did not visit the usual gogo-bars because of their unappealing shows and their outrageous prices. So I often parked myself in Maxxis which is a great observation point to look a the hustle and bustle in the soi .. should soi Twilight close, I will miss such a place as much as I already miss Dicks'Café.

Boy in the dark

Soi 4 offers the same kind of activity but with a different atmosphere : more fun, more people, but without this erotic feeling that can be felt in Twilight. I did not like too much Balcony, especially when the waiter brought me a chicken with cashew nuts when I had ordered chicken with lemon sauce.. and he had the nerve to change the bill without a word after having brought the wrong meal ... I did not realise immediately the mistake, so could not refuse to pay the extra 40 THB but of course did not left any tip and went out with a long face.

Finally I went to the Grand  Palace area to check the boys on offer : they are really not a lot any more and gather along Klong Lot, in the area where City Walk bar is located. Some nice faces again that I did not sample as I had just fallen down just after exiting the taxi and looked more like a defeated thai boxer than a decent potential customer.

This put an unexpected end to my thai adventures; I just hope next trip will be better !

Busy

Coming back from Udon Thani, my first plan was to stay alone in Bangkok for two days before heading towards Pattaya for my last eight or nine days. But I had not expected that my first date in Bangkok would be so hot, and I could not wait to meet him again. And so here I was again in Ekkamai BTS station at 6 pm, waiting for him like two weeks ago. He showed 45 minutes late but there is nothing boring looking at the world going by in a Bangkok station.

Let's call him Noo

Let's call him Noo, as this is the way I call him, and the way he calls himself when speaking to me. So Noo wanted to watch a film and I agreed as it seems that thai cinema owners have finally understood that too cold temperatures were both costly and useless. We ended at MBK which is one of the few cinemas I can exactly locate in Bangkok ... two movies in two weeks while I had not set a foot in a cinema since at least ten years, this boy has really special powers on me. He was then curious to visit a gogo bar and we went to one well-known place outside of Soi Twilight ; although he is only 18, he looks a little older so we could easily enter. He did not really like it but I guess he just wanted to check this kind of place as a possible way to make some money later. I will just say that the following night was really fantastic, I could not imagine it was possible to have such a good time with a boy after so many years in Thailand.

On the next day, Noo went back to his room and I could use this free time to deal with some important matters : buying a new phone, looking for information about the upcoming cycling Tour of Thailand, renewing my bank passbook and ... resting ! I could not even sample the bars in Saphan Khwai, but could see that Charmming Bar had definitely closed, and Staxx was also closed while next door Heaven karaoke seemed to be well-stocked with nice boys. U-Turn is still there but the former owner (who had opened the short-lived David Bar some years ago in Pattaya) was nowhere to be seen. Street Boy, Adam and Waterloo seemed to do well at least on Fridays and Saturdays. And Talent on Phahonyothin Soi 11 is still open and eager to welcome customers.

After these two busy days in Bangkok, it was time for me to go for my ritual stay In Pattaya. I had agreed with Noo that he could come to Pattaya for two nights, and he finally staid four nights, without having to insist a lot I must say. Between visits to his sister who lives there, trips to Jomtien and (shortly) to Koh Larn, and strolls to Central Festival, he seemed to like this stay with me. I liked it too, and not only for the great sex we had at the most unexpected times of the day. No pressure for buying expensive items, no request for money, this boy was really a gem, and he was of course duly rewarded when he finally went back to Bangkok after these four days.

I now just hope that he will not be too spoilt when I will meet him again ... and I will meet him, even if I have to go to his place in Buriram for this.

Missed opportunities

I had a comfortable stay in Bangkok but it was rather tame in relation to what I had expected. I quickly settled down into routines of everyday life, without exciting adventures. Truth to be said, I must say that I had some difficulty because of a fall in the bathroom of my hotel in Hua Hin ; the boy had not used the shower curtain and I literally fell down in his arms with a sore back, probably a cracked tail-bone.

The fact that Saphan Kwai was very quiet did not help, especially when I was told about the closing of the only gogo bar left in the area - and that I did not read about in any webboard : Be High had closed two months ago, seemingly due to problems that some boy had with customers. The fact that the owner's husband works in the police probably did not help in these times.

And also there was the unexpected visit of my boyfriend, who had to close his karaoke during one month after His Majesty the King passing away. Meaning he had both to escape the boring life you can imagine when you are stuck upcountry with nothing to do, and also to try to get some money to make for the loss of one month's income. Listening to my good heart, I accepted to stay with him longer than expected, be it at the price of some drawbacks, but with the benefit of sharing meals and good times together.

I went to Suphanburi alone as planned before, and had all the time needed to visit the town – typical thai provincial town where life revolves around the wats and the commercial centers. The local boys were very decent to look at but mostly in groups so nothing to hope from them, and the local Facebook gay group was very quiet. To top it all, I could not even visit the major attraction in town which is a tower allowing large views above the whole area ; it is closed on Mondays, and you guess on which day I was there.

Available bedroom mandatory

I had also planned a stop in the neighboring Ang Thong, as I had read someone there tried to hire boys for an undefined work. I had secretly hoped it could be some hidden boy brothel but bad luck again : the Facebook account of the potential recruiter had just been closed when I tried to ask him for more information.

Pattaya looks promising but will probably miss the scent of adventure which needs at least an available bedroom to be fulfilled …

Looking around

I love being in Bangkok and usually begin my holidays staying there for a few days before getting accustomed to thai life. This year, due to various commitments, I had chosen to stay only one day before heading to Udon Thani.

Sleepy

However I had to make a lot of things during only one afternoon and despite being tired from the flights. Most important : checking my ATM card as we all know that how useful this small plastic thing is for our success in Thailand. So I can use my card for still two years but could as well get a new card with a 6-digit code immediately. And then there was the mandatory walk around my beloved Saphan Kwai area. Not a lot has changed except still new condo developments, once again close to my hotel – which for the time being remains an island of peace among all these never-ending construction sites. The karaoke shops are still there with the addition of a Door karaoke, but they were almost void of boys in this Wednesday evening by the own account of one owner. As for the massage shops, they look promising and still going on.

What is still there too are the street food stalls. Pradiphat Road seems for now to have escaped the craziness which wants to make Bangkok like Singapore. Unlike Silom which is now just another street in another wolrd city.

To-morrow, flight to Udon Thani for a three-days trip which could not be described more accurately than being a sex tourism tour.

Saphan Kwai massage shops

Samuel Johnson could have said it : "when a man is tired of Bangkok, he is tired of life". Eleven nights and a half in Bangkok versus only nine in Pattaya : if that is an indicator, no doubt I would lean towards the Big Mango against Sin City every time the usual fruitless quarrel rears its head. Between my trips, I spend more and more time around my homely hotel room in Saphan Kwai, and this for one plain reason : I feel really good there.

Most of my days were spent going here and there in Bangkok ; when in Farangland, I live in a quiet - albeit very scenic – place, so any reason is a good reason to partake in the vibrant Bangkok life among thousands of people. When enough is enough, I then come back to Saphan Khwai, often being the only farang left in the BTS train after Phayathai station (except on week-ends). And from the station, it's then a rather circuitous route to my room, in order to see what's is on offer in front of the many massage shops now operating in the area.

Waiting for a customer

I did not visit all of them, and this was probably wise as I read in a thai forum that not all provide extra services. Most have a queue system, so you will go with the boy whose turn has come ; however you usually can insist on choosing the boy you prefer, or even ask for one you know from a previous visit or from someone's advise. Do know that except in Nine Spa, there is no privacy if you ask for a thai massage or foot massage. Other kinds will entitle you to a more or less private room, but usually with light partitions not going up to the ceiling (common air-conditioned system). If you have time on your hands, it has been suggested that you ask for a foot massage first, just to see how things are working and which boys meet your requirements.

The places I visited were all clean, welcoming and charged reasonable rates especially before 5pm. So from Saphan Kwai BTS station (exit n°1) and going back towards Pradiphat Road, you will pass by these shops :
> Amor Spa and Am Fine under exit n° 1 : two adjacent places, one small and the other larger where I could saw some handsome lads but did not enter.
> Going on along Phahonyothin, enter the second soi on the right leading to 39 Underground Sauna : again two adjacent boy-only places on your right with many cute guys : I-Sabay and Romphruk. I went twice to the latter, which has mostly vietnamese boys ; extra-service proposed and tip agreed, and then the boy will more or less accept to be in the nude
> Turn left, pass by Phahon Theater (another infamous gay place by all accounts), you will find Pailin on your left. Few boys in front of the shop but it seems busy inside ; strict queue system I am said, including girls.
> Follow the very narrow pathway and then turn left back to Phahonyothin : facing Big C you will pass by Noble Spa, and then Sabaidee just at the corner of Pradiphat Road : these are shops with both boys and girls and a queue system as well, but you could probably avoid it if you order an oil massage and ask to choose – especially in the last one where I had only a nice foot massage by a nice girl.
> Cross the road and go to Big C, follow the car entrance and exit on the right of the mall and then turn right on the Soi leading south to Suthisan Road : you will reach Seven Massage who has just relocated in a subsoi here. Boy-only place where I did not had enough time to go, but looks promising and very professionnal.

Will extras be part of the game ?

And finally there is of course Nine Spa in the Liberty Garden Hotel, the only place which comes close to a real gay massage shop with private rooms and slightly higher prices ; here, extra services are part of the game, possibly including hard ones. You choose your boy from a tablet which shows their pictures. The cashier is not always available and as he is the only one you can see in the flesh (so he has a definite advantage over others), you could regret it at first. Most of their boys are nowadays hill-tribe boys from Tak province ; I highly recommend Phet who knows perfectly how to make you shiver with pleasure along the whole process, bringing you like in a trance when serious things begin.

The premises will undergo a complete renovation, and the shop will have to move near the BTS station – but I still do not know exactly where. If I don't get any information before my next trip, be sure I will comb the entire area until I can find it !

Starting full speed

Here I am again… looking at my usual hotel room and thinking that it is like my second home, which I think of almost everyday when in my country.

As expected, travelling with an arabic company was much more bearable than with the european ones. Two hours walking and sitting in Doha Airport in the middle of the trip was just what was needed for some relaxation. The second leg to Bangkok was flown in an Airbus A-800, which really offers more comfort and room even in Y class.

Leaving the airport, I had to remind my taxi driver to turn the meter on, which he obliged, and he was then very delightful and chatty. I told him about the best way to go to Saphan Khwai : the shortest route is not always the quickest.

Unfortunately I felt very quickly the effects of an old sore which could greatly disturb my trip. Long and too fast walks in the airports had awakened an old heel tendinitis which could bring me to cancel some trips. I had to go to a clinic where I was prescribed some medicine which will at least allow me to walk more or less normally.

As a consequence, I did not even visit the Silom area during my first three nights in Bangkok. From my hotel, most Saphan Kwai venues are within easy reach, and then I had already two appointments with Facebook “friends”. At first I went to Be High bar, still there but with only three boys on this Wednesday evening ; unfortunately the young captain/manager is not available. All bars were very quiet and the owners quite pessimistic. However a new place has just opened, another karaoke called D-door (or something like that), next door to Haven in Soi Kawtei (where most boys bars are). There are still some cuties to be found in Saphan Khwai, like this 18 y/o karen boy, not shy and whom I will take to my room for sure.

But the main change in Saphan Khwai is the increasing number of massage places with boys ; there are two of them just under the BTS station, three more in the backsois near the infamous Phahol Cinema, and Seven which has just moved to the area behind the Big C parking exit. Add some places with both boys and girls, and Nine Spa in the Liberty Garden court, and that gives about 10 shops within in a very small area.

Available 7/11 boy

My first appointment was with a dark-skinned 19 y/o from Bang Na, who was OK to spend the night with me. As soon as I saw him approaching among the crowds of travelers leaving the BTS station, I knew I would like him : tall, dark-skinned and lean, so meeting exactly my specifications, and of course looking much better than on the pictures. He was a nice boy, not too much engrossed in his mobile phone, but was reluctant to kissing. I hope to see him again in Pattaya, where he would like to work in Toy Boys, where he would be undoubtedly very successful. No picture allowed for this little gem.

On the following day, I had a long bus ride to Minburi, where I had another appointment with a boy working in a 7/11 shop. I had reserved a room in a local hotel where he showed up on time. He did not loose time to open his trousers, and I must say that I liked what I saw …. Believe me, you are surely not cheated on quantity when you buy a sausage in his 7/11 outlet ! I went back to Saphan Khwai for sleeping, letting him make good use of the room with one of his boy- or girl-friend.

Staffing problems

During my final days in Bangkok, I took some time to visit the Saphan Kwai bars which are close to my hotel. What struck me was the poor number of boys staffing each bar I went to. In Charmming, there was even no boy available at all when I went, prompting me to turn my heels back without even ordering a drink – something I usually hate to do … Perhaps I want there too early : the boys now are very lax with working hours and often do not show up before ten o’clock … perhaps they are too busy to check their Romeo account ?

Be High gogo bar has been renovated and looks better than before. Still few boys, and still approaching even when uninvited, but the captain/waiter/mamasan is a cute young isan lad, who said me not to be available until bar closure. Drink 150 THB.

Not many boys in the other bars, and not really attractive in my opinion. I wonder if they do not keep the most handsome ones for their regular customers, as I saw very cute ones sitting in front of some places but not going inside to take care of customers … Perhaps I should have given some more time to visit Heaven Karaoke, who seem to have some well-hidden cuties ?

Times must be difficult as I saw big smiles and welcoming words from some bars owners that had ignored me before. Oasis at the end of the soi is now a TV repair shop, Waterloo is definitely a karaoke bar but massage is available on the premisess. Nothing changed for Adam, Street Boy, Staxx, Heaven and U-Turn ; one of the owners confirmed me that staffing was their main problem, due to social networks which boys prefer to use to make contact with potential customers. They now hire boys from Burma and Laos too, despite their patronage being mostly thai.

On a better note, I went two more times to Nine Spa (left when entering Liberty Garden Hotel from Pradiphat Road) : this is the place where boys have their pictures shown to you on a tablet. Second time was with Laem, and on the third time I wanted to choose a new boy but immediately changed my mind when I saw Song (that I had chosen on the first time) in the flesh. Both were very skilled at their massage, and at ending it in the happiest way. Rooms are clean and have their own (cold or lukewarm) shower, prices are very reasonable. From the pictures on the tablet, and some I could see « live », I can confirm that this shop is right on if you like your masseur young and slim. Curiously enough, they do not advertise much although they had a page in Thaimassageboy website some months ago.

A stop in Magic Hands near Malaysia Hotel did not turn out as good. I had no choice of the boy, and although he was nice, I could see clearly his face only when going to the post-massage shower. He had not given any clue to a happy ending and even did not agree to my invitation to shower together. However the premises are nice and clean and will deserve a further visit.

Back to farangland now, only to see the euro in free fall against the baht and the US dollar (used in Cambodia and Laos). This will lead me to more frugal choices – if possible ! - for my next visits to the area, even if I had secured some provisions to my Kasikorn account when euro had still a reasonable value.

Lao boy

Apart from the three days of debauchery with the boy from Khorat, I had mostly very quiet days in Bangkok. Even without indulging in visiting bars and other immoral places, I feel that I am never bored walking along the streets or in the commercial centers – ubiquitous eye-candy being part of the equation.

I paid some visits to the bars in Saphan Kwai, only to see that the quantity of boys has decreased dramatically. Although I do not like peeping into a bar without having a drink, I had a look into Be High (only gogo bar in the area) and did not enter as only one boy seemed on duty on that evening. In the karaoke bars, the boys do not seem interested if you are alone and some even stay outside : the trick would be to make eye-contact before entering, so that the boy follows you hoping for an invitation and more. One of the karaoke places in Saphan Kwai (Waterloo) is said to have been converted to a massage place although it was the best kept bar in the area.

I also went to Silom area to Dicks Café for some meals and sightseeing, and also to the former Super A Bar where no boy was to my taste. Besides the Soi Twilight Gogo bars which I now avoid, I also found some absolute stunners in Scorpion Bar - the vietnamese boys I guess - but did not stay long as I was not in the mood to take someone on that evening. As for the massage places, I tried Marso but could not choose the boy and left for the neighbouring X-Boys Massage. There, I had a pleasant time with a tall young man from Nakhon Sawan that I had noticed opposite when seating in Dick’s Café ...

Aun , lao boy in Bangkok and Pattaya

Finally the only boy I had closer contact with was one I called in Staxx Karaoke in Saphan Kwai. Please note that the place has been completely refurbished and is now very welcoming including for farangs. I quickly called Aun for a drink, a boy from the Vientiane area in Laos speaking and writing perfectly thai. We chatted mostly about Pattaya, as he wanted to try to go there, so that he could meet more people. I could not take him to my place but finally met him some days later in Pattaya where he had been hired by Kawaii Boys. We had some fun in a nearby short-time room where he was very keen and affectionate, and I also went with him to Jomtien where his perfect body and his rose underwear revealing an interesting bulge fooled more than one.

Aun will not be my next boyfriend and he knows it ; he even wished me good luck with my boyfriend, which proves either a good education or a very commercial attitude .. A nice boy to stay with, and for a longer time than in a short-time room.

Welcome to Bangkok

Getting used to the QWERTY keyboard (and also with the 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. Slimmer 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.

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 usually 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 ?


My boyfriend 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.

Bangkok hunting

Bangkok is the place where I like to drop my suitcases between two trips in Pattaya or in the provinces ; this is why I usually spend at least seven or eight nights there in total during a one month stay in Thailand. I know many do not like the hectic pace of life in the big city, but Bangkok has really a lot to offer be it during the day or at night. During these two days between dusty Isaan and hot Pattaya, I could do some shopping, update my laundry – and my blog … - and sleep in after six tiring days.

I could not ignore the bars and divided my time between Patphong and Saphan Kwai. In Patphong, Tam brought me to Dream Boys, and I have to thank him for this as I would not go alone in the Soi Twilight places mostly because of their outrageous prices (300 THB for a beer). We loved the show (with a lot of nudity and explicit sex), and some of the boys, but were a little bit upset to be invited to go downstairs in Boys Bangkok at the end of the show. Alone I could then visit Nice Boys – nothing to write home about -, Solid Boys which had only six boys, and My Way which was too dark to see anything except some young faces : they could well have been the jailbait that a recent thread talked about.

In Saphan Kwai I turned up once again into my favourite Street Boy where the new owner seems to have good ideas to revive the place, including hiring some nice guys (and, I was told, proposing some dancing on Friday and Saturday nights). On the contrary I entered the neighbouring Adam just to be completely ignored by anyone, so another place to avoid in the future. Most bars seemed to have less boys than last year and the mamasan in Heaven did not even invite me to go inside although I have been knowing him for some time now : "only two boys to-night" he told me.

And then there are the massage places which could keep you busy for many months. Bangkok is thriving with new places in every nook and cranny of the town, most being in the grey area between authentic massage shops, and sex places – which is what makes them attractive. However selecting a place on the net – for example from the very good Thai Massage Boy website http://www.thaimassageboy.com/homepage/ is too uncertain because the boy you had picked from their website could well not be there or already busy. You cannot risk to loose an entire evening going for example to Nonthaburi when you have too little time. I had read about a place which had got good reviews on a thai webboard and was opportunely located in Saphan Kwai : it is curiously called "Pruksa Bureau Massage" and is hidden in a small soi along Phahonyothin Road – near the north west exit of Saphan Kwai BTS station, same soi as Samsara Spa. The experience was good and cheap but I could chose from only two boys and the one I picked was more into massage than into anything else ; however I know that some extra service can be had in this place like in most others.

rent-boy near Saranrom Park

And to confirm the general dwindling of the number of boys selling themselves – a rather good news for Thailand if not for us -, I had another trip to the Saranrom area and found very few rent-boys although I went at the suitable time (about 10 / 11 pm). The area east of Wat Phra Kaew was almost deserted problably due to the closing of the road running along the Defence Ministry, making driving around Saranrom impossible. The boys were standing mostly south and west of the Wat Phra Kaew coumpounds, which is a poorly lit and more dangerous looking area. I asked the taxi driver do go on although there were some nice and desirable guys as usual, but clearly more scattered than before.

So all in all a rather ordinary time in Bangkok but with more time on my hands I would probably have found beautiful surprises …

Gift

Christmas arrived yesterday and I got what I had craved for : being able to have once again a one month stay in Thailand.

It took a long time however as I had chosen to leave home early so that I could have a little time in Zurich.  I used it for strolling about in downtown where there are some gay bars - mostly one where I met another thai boy many years ago. I had been brought there by the first thai guy I met in Geneva ; as he had to go to Zurich, I proposed myself to take him with my car and when he brought me in Carousel bar, my jaw dropped at seing three or four asian boys waiting for a customer. I think this is one of the places which made me decide to go to Thailand as soon as possible, and this changed my life.

Thai guys have now left the Carousel Bar since many years, and I still have to find where they have gone. Hustlers are now mainly east-europeans and mostly gypsies ; I love their dark skin and their manly attitude but I would not be confident enough to take one, let alone having a holiday in Romania …

Swiss being what they are known for, my flight arrived just in time in Bangkok, and after a 15 minutes waiting for immigration and another 15 minutes for luggage, I arrived in my nest in Saphan Kwai one hour and a half after landing, which was not too bad. Of course having left the debilitating pace of everyday life for a one month interval, makes delays and wastes of time much more bearable.

Tam had left his work in a Pattaya hotel and come and see me in Bangkok, and we spent the evening together … not that this was the way I had imagined for my first night in Bangkok as I like to be alone as much as possible, but he is my boyfriend after all, and the nicest guy on earth when he is smiling. We made the usual trip to Rakhang Thong restaurant in front of Elisabeth Hotel and had a beautiful meal with a Tom Yam Kung to die for.

I brought him then to Street Boy, which has a new owner, after the former one – an oldish kathoey who was very nice and spoke good english - has left for Pattaya. We listened to the latest lukthung hits while looking at the 5 or 6 boys working there – two of them I could easily have taken with me for a night. We were rather inebriated already when we arrived in Be High which had only two boys left after three were said to be already offed. A couple of beers and much flirting and chatting with a Chiang Mai host later, it was time to head for the hotel.

Still one day in Bangkok and then it wil be a short trip to Pattaya.

(as usual, except mentioned otherwise, the boy above is not an acquaintance of mine and his picture is here for your viewing pleasure only)

Good boy

After five days in Chiang Mai, it was time to come back to Bangkok … and this time I was not alone as Tam was to stay with me until the end of my trip. Curiously enough, I was not feeling incomfortable with this despite the little restrictions it would bring to my cherished freedom : not being alone has its advantages too especially when your companion is a delightful mature boy who loves life, accepts your infidelities, and has the brightest smile in Thailand.

Air Asia was as efficient as usual for bringing us to Sawanaphum and the first evening was reserved for what Tam likes most : having a good meal. This country boy always amazes me for his wide knowing about thai food, especially seafood which is his little weakness. Saphan Khwai is an ideal place if you like a good meal : besides the many street stalls which are overrun every evening by a crowd of locals, one of the best choices is the Rakhang Thong Restaurant in front of Pradiphat Hotel : this is a semi open-air place where the food is constantly good and cheap, the service efficient, and the beer plentiful and I am always happy to go there with Tam, as I would not sit alone in this kind of place.

After a fantastic tom yam kung and some grilled fish with a delicious phanaeng sauce, we agreed to go to Sanam Luang : the market at night is a good attraction, although I prefer strolling around the magical square where the rent-boys are. So while Tam was wandering around the night market, I walked two rounds along the Saranrom park, and then along Khlong Lot before coming back to the Defence Ministry. At 10 in the evening, a lot of boys were standing there among the usual cars slowly driving around them and stopping from time to time for further enquiries. I did not feel intimidated at all and if some boys completely ignored me (there are more thai drivers than farang pedestrians in these areas …), other tried to strike up a conversation, the first question usually being "do you speak thai ?". I could have taken more than one and almost fell for a 18 or 19 y/o dark-skinned lad standing near the bridge on Charoen Krung Road. He looked like a little rascal and finally I thought it was not a good idea to go with a boy on the first night with Tam in Bangkok – I have to be a good boy from time to time …

Where the action is at night : near Defence Ministry

So we got together again with Tam (how have we been able to live for so long without mobile phones ?) and ended the night in the Saphan Kwai karaokes : Street Boy (almost deserted this time), Waterloo (great decoration and many groups of thai revellers including many girls) and finally Heaven.

On the second day, we did some shopping and I quickly understood that Tam would be very happy with a new digital camera. I bought it for him in Big C Saphan Kwai : not the most expensive one, as Tam has now understood that his farang's pockets are not so deep and he knows exactly what I am ready to pay for him and what I will refuse. We then paid a visit to Soi Twilight where Tam loves seeing at least one show in a bar … this time we went to X Boys and it was not too bad, and the quality of the boys there appeared quite good for me.

After the good deed I had done in the afternoon, I had less qualms about going out alone… and I went back to Sanam Luang : it was 11 pm and there were as many boys as the day before. I met Mike near the bridge on Kanlayanamaitri Road – a 19 y/o boy from Bangkok, with the looks of a soldier and the beautiful face of a half isan half southern guy. We had a short chat and I walked on along the khlong and then along the Park : many proposals were made by boys, some gorgeous but too young, some less attractive but all very polite and respectful. Finally Mike was still there when I came back at his location : we quickly agreed on the price – the usual 500 bahts - and he told me he did not want to bottom … OK for me and up we went into a taxi which brought us to a short-time hotel beyond Khao San Road : 200 THB for two hours, clean, TV with sex DVDs. The sex was good although the boy did not like French kiss.

I finally came back to the hotel at the same time as Tam. He had spent the evening with the owner of Threezone Bar (in Pattaya), who happened to enter Soi Pratuchai just when Tam and I were there sitting at Maxxis Café and talking about him …

All in all another great night in Bangkok before the last stretch of my trip in Pattaya.

Ups and downs in Saphan Khwai

Coming back to Bangkok I continued my exploration of Saphan Kwai and thought it would be of interest for those who like to escape the crowds.

All the bars are still there except Eagle Bar (the one facing Karmanee Hotel) which closed aboy ten months ago. Not a lot of boys in the bars but the general quality has improved.

Gayromeo boy in Lampang

More than ever Saphan Kwai is really a hit-and-miss place. I went to Street Boys on Sunday to find two bored and not to my taste boys. And I went back on Monday to find a place with a least five guys, one of them being one of those that you cannot wait to take with you by fear of seeing him go with another customer. And so I spent part of my evening with Pon, a very energetic boy from Phayao ... and if you know what is said about the Phayao boys and girls in Thailand, you will have understood he was a cute one.

I also went to Talent which is a karoke bar located at the end of Pradiphat Soi 10, so in a more remote location ... Not many guys either but a good selection and a nice captain who will not pressure you to take a boy or even to have a drink ... what a change !

I had also visited the Be High gogobar, Waterloo karaoke bar (next to Street Boy, no sign) and Heaven ... everywhere there was at least one boy that I could have taken.

Big change of pace ahead as I am booked to Chiang Rai, Lampang and Chiang Mai ... cannot wait to look again at these beautiful northern boys.

Tentations

I am now slowly recovering from the flight and am already completely immersed in what will be my new life ... unfortunately for only four weeks.

I have been busy for the whole of my second day with many things to settle and action to take regarding personal and uninteresting things. It appears that I will have to be in Bangkok on Friday morning so I am already in Pattaya now, one day sooner than expected.

Yesterday in Bangkok I had not lost any hope to find Art - the sexy boy from last year - so I went again to Silom and to Super A (undisputed sleaziest bar in Bangkok). Art was not there but I found Tom whom I had "offed" two years ago - as horny as ever. He told me he had "no money because no cutomers" but that was not enough for me : I love to change ....

I wanted to have a look to the street hustlers near Sanam Luang and went there with a taxi ; we spent some time driving through Chinatown where there is currently a big fair going on. There were not a lot of boys around Saranrom park, and I chatted with one of them who said me to be very careful of robbers - especially robbers on motorbikes. After this and due to rain, I decided for a last drink in the bars near my hotel in Saphan Kwai.

..... Gayromeo boy in Bangkok ...

There were only two boys in my old favorite Street Boys and not to my sapecs at all so I left very quickly, only to be hailed into another nearby place. The captain of this bar is the former mamasan of another Saphan Kwai bar and we have been knowing each other for a long time. When entering he pushed a boy to my table and I was happy to know better a young cutie coming from Udon Thani : about 18 y/o I was told, with a short but very strong body and a face to die for ... or to be jailed for. Checking the ID card of this delight, I saw that he was still 15 two weeks ago .... so I chose to leave him in the bar after offering a good tip for his time and the great songs he sang for me. There would probably have been no problem in my hotel which usually has a very relaxed attitude, but any other customer could have thrown me into a big shit.

So it was a second night alone - not really alone as I was already thinking of a Gayromeo boy that I will contact before my next stay in Bangkok.

Bell boy

My second day in Thailand began rather late in the day as I wanted a good night sleep to recover from the trip. I also needed more coffee than usual, which provided the best excuse to visit the small stall with the nice boy ... however he seems more interested in his very cute girlfriend than in my repeated glances ...

I spent the evening in Sanam Luang where there was a royal ceremony with a huge attendance from thais of all ages and all conditions. HM the King attended and it was a great relief to see him in rather good shape. You will understand it was not the best moment to go to the area around Saranrom park for the boys, as the place was brimmed with policemen.

At night I visited some Saphan Kwai bars and found that the boys there are as cute as ever. In every bar I visited I could have taken one or two, especially - and this is not surprise - in Charmming ; they have really good-looking guys overthere, and more than this the mamasan often boasts their "big thing' as they say in thai. I already checked in the past that this was no lie.

Another enthusiastic mamasan works in U-Turn, you just have to tell him what kind of boy you like and he will scour the neighbouring bars to find one matching your specifications.

I visited Eagle Pub, U-Turn, Charmming and Waterloo (which is currently on repair but has opened opposite in what is usually a girlie bar called Swan) and Adam was full due to a party. That leaves only three bars to visit and I should go next time I am in Bangkok ; for the first time in ages, their doormen invited me inside - sign of harder times ?

I am now in Pattaya where a strong rain in the afternoon has flooded some streets. The bell boy who helped with my luggage will be my impossible mission for this trip ; he told me "see you later" when leaving my room and these three words made me completely randy.

First night in Bangkok

Welcome in Thailand

It was an uneventful trip that I even managed not to find too long. The KLM plane landed 30 minutes ahead of scheduled time, but the extra time was quickly lost due to my choosing the wrong queue at the immigration (you should never forget to check whether the counter is single or double manned BEFORE entering the queue) …

The taxi driver made his job to bring me safe to my hotel in Saphan Khwai using the quickest route which is longer but uses much less time, so the 337 THB - toll fares and airport tax included - became 400 THB in his pocket.

Arriving at one in the afternoon leaves plenty of time to buy all forgotten items and get slowly accustomed to the local way of life ; watching over the holes in the pavement when gazing at the cute boys you encounter is one of the most challenging novelties here (in my country there are no holes in the pavement and hardly any cute boy walking).

You also will have to check the new interesting features in the neighborhood and this generally leads to good and bad surprises ; for example the boy who worked in the khao muu daeng food stall has disappeared, so I guess he was not the owner’s son but only an assistant. On the contrary there is a very good looking guy now working in front of my internet café, who provides free eye-candy when the connection is too slow. He sells coffee and it happens that I am a real coffee lover ...

At 6.30 pm I decided it was time to go for a skytrain trip to Silom where I only wanted to look at the atmosphere. After a nice meal in Dick’s, I walked along the bars and the massage places but no one took my fancy ; the new restaurant facing the Bangkok Boys Massage Place will be my next choice because it seems to be an excellent viewpoint over what is on offer opposite.

A tout wanted me to have a massage in K-Why ; I could get rid of him walking further to Soi 6. I walked in front of Tawan Bar where I never set a foot since I come to Thailand and hurried up to Solid. However I chose a new gogo bar first ; it is located on the first floor (or is it the second one for some), and is called Flower Shower or something like that. What I saw on the scene was quite pleasant with some very good looking lads. I invited Art to sit with me : a dark-skinned playful 20 y/o Bangkok boy. We flirted a little but I decided not to take him because he could not spend the night – mi thoora, so he told me, which of course I did not believe.

I went then to the infamous Nature Boy bar where they have six or seven lads ; one of them was taking care of another farang while three isaan citizens sat at my table. No tasty detail here as it was only hands on the pant, some hard dick showing and not much more. The shiest guy was the cutest. 

Getting out of the bar, I was once again called by one of the doormen in the message place almost opposite, which is called Taurus. I had noticed a young guy that seemed perfect for a first night, so I chose him for an one hour and a half oil massage. This barely legal Roi Et cutie gave me a massage that was too soft and without too much imagination, and after only twenty minutes he asked me to turn over and proposed to take care of my virility. I should have told him to massage my legs first but the boy was too hot and I was too horny … so I guess I will have to wait some more for a real massage.

It was 10.30 already and I felt too tired to continue my exploration in the Silom area ; moreover I had to update my information about Saphan Kwai venues for a thread on Sawatdee forum. I arrived back in Saphan Kwai at 11 pm and headed for my all-time favorite Street Boy Bar ; being the first bar in this non sheltered soi, it was a good idea as it was now pouring with rain. There were five boys on duty on this Sunday evening, including one with long hair, nice face, and who was a real boy according to the owner.

My last visit was for “Be High” gogo bar where there is a fair selection of masculine boys again, proving that my previous reviews had to be updated for the best. I chatted quietly with a guy from Khemmarat (Ubon Ratchathani province) which is one of the most remote places in Thailand and he understood that I was not in the mood to take him to my room.

At 0.25 it was time to call it a day and I went back to my hotel – alone, but I had seen more cute faces in 10 hours here than in eleven months at home.

Bangkok life

Bangkok life is definitely not bad when you are a tourist … Feeling alone in you room ? Just go outside, the streets are bustling with people, and every 30 seconds or so you will run into the nice face of a cute guy … who could well be your next friend if you are daring and lucky.

My hotel is located at the end of a small soi in Saphan Khwai, and I can enjoy the soi life as soon as I set a foot out of my room. At first I walk in front of the boy bars whose owners are cleaning their shop : those who know me as a regular never forget to greet and have a short chat. Further down the soi, there is the half hidden shop where I drop off my linen for washing .. when the laundrywoman prepares my pile of washing, she simply labels it with the word "farang" … I am probably her only non-thai customer.

And then there are the food stalls … they stay in the soi during daytime but as soon as 5 pm, they spread onto the both sides of the main street. Especially on Friday and Saturday nights, Pradiphat Street is a huge open-air restaurant with hundreds of thais enjoying their meal with friends or family. I love this atmosphere, I also love the convenience of a quick and cheap khao man kai when I feel a bit hungry, whatever the time of the night (and No, I never got sick from eating in the street ... )

Eye candy is of course always there in the soi or in the street … The waiters in the Rakhang Thong Restaurant are my current favourites, and I guess I will have to look closer at the workmen hired in the nearby construction site : I already know they leave at 6 pm and some of them are absolute stunners – to the point I did not dare to take a picture of them.

As for the boy working for the khao moo daeng stall at the soi entrance (owner's son probably), I still have to wait two or three more years, but he will surely be worth it. For now, his job is doing the washing up well hidden behind the cart, and helping serving the customers. Spending all his evenings near so many boy bars, it is impossible that when turning 18, he does't consider making use of his good looks ; after thinking over, he could well try his luck and if he agrees, I am OK to be his first customer

Bangkok extras (2)

Saphan Kwai

I already already wrote how much I was impressed by the selection of the boys there ; I dropped in on most bars with a preference for Be High (the only gogo bar in Saphan Kwai) where the boys are nice and friendly. Nothing new about the venues except some not too good news :
- Collection Boys was the name of a bar next door to Street Boys, but although some activity was to be seen inside during daytime, it did not open during the period I was there
- Eagle Pub, which is located on Pradiphat Road near Karmanee Hotel still has some good-looking boys and a friendly mamasan, but they told me they will turn to a karaoke at the beginning of the year ; this will leave only Charmming as a host bar in the area, all others are more or less karaoke (fortunately not all customers come there for singing and some evenings are very quiet)
- Hippodrome was a small karaoke place on Soi 12 and seems to have closed.
- Do not go to First Karaoke, which could be mistaken as a boy karaoke on the little soi leading to the gay 39 Sauna (near the BTS station) : this place is in fact a dump with overpriced drinks and absolute no boy to be seen.

Since last year, Saphan Kwai has also grown as a great eating place, with food stalls lining up along Pradiphat Road, all busy with customers, which is a sure sign of tasty food (and how convenient when you come back hungry from your short-time hotel and the coffee lodge of your hotel is closed ... ). There is also a great open-air restaurant in front of Pradiphat Hotel (on the northern side of the street) which is called Rakhang Thong (golden bell) to which I like to treat the boys I am with. Many farangs to be seen there, probably coming from the neighbouring Mido and Elisabeth Hotels.



Saranrom

I went there once again on my last night in Thailand. This time I did not want to depend on the willingness of the taxi drivers - who often drive past the boys too quickly, so you do not have the time to see them. So I went on foot along Sanamchai Road to the Saranrom park, then back around the whole main area rectangle, and then near Tha Chang along the Wat Phra Kaew compound.

I was some times among the boys, sometimes on the other side of the street ; the experience was a little bit intimidating, as most boys will hail you and ask you to go with them. I nearly accepted to go with a sturdy 20 y/o lad who accepted to spend the whole night with me but I changed my mind at the last minute, as he did not look trustworthy enough. Others wanted to go short time, some begged for money to eat.

Not a lot of people walk around the area at night but at least on the Sanamchai Road, there are some pedestrians, street hawkers or people waiting for the bus, making you feel almost safe. I also found that speaking thai was almost mandatory when walking, so that the boys assume that you know the ropes and you are not a rookie making an easy prey for some bad trick.

So much for my 2007 Bangkok observations ...