Wild Ubon Ratchathani

I am now beginning my second and last night in Ubon Ratchathani and I love to be here. First of all what I see all the day long is most pleasing to the eye, and if some Pattaya residents are asking where the beautiful boys are, well I guess there is a fair share left here in Isaan. Moreover the whole town exudes a wild atmosphere and at night the streets belong to young motorists all more handsome one than another... is it because helmets are a totally unknown thing here, is it because of the persistant wind ? Anyway I really feel like being in the Far West here.

Thung Si Muang park in Ubon Ratchathani

However the official gay scene is rather limted ; my first visit was for the so-called "Famous Bar", which claims itself as a gay bar but is rather a boys bar with an unusual format ; they have six to eight boys acting both as waiters and coyotee dancers ; both women and gays come here but what I mainly saw was women yelling at the boys who of course are more interested in them than in older farangs ... This bar is located behind the former bus station which is now known as Talaat Hok (market number 6), along Chayangkhun Road (the big road towards Amnat Charoen). Things begin to liven up at midnight. Despite one of the boys here being what most would call an absolute stunner, I did not stay there. In fact I quickly realised that he was probably beyond reach, and so I had to look elsewhere - sorry cannot tell more.

This night I will try the suggestion by Naklua (see comment in last post), and also see whether there are some hustlers near the park ; to-morrow it will be a short bus ride to Mukdahan where there will probably be not much to report about.

On the move

After one week in Pattaya, I am now entering the second part of my trip, the one which usually leaves me the best and most vibrant memories. This is the ten days or so when I travel to places I know little or nothing about.

Hua Hin Beach

I have just come back from a one-day escape to Hua Hin where I like to go every second or third year. This is mainly because I like the quiet atmosphere of the place, and also as Hua Hin was the first area I went aside from the usual Bangkok-Pattaya pair. I had a nice chat in the old Red Indian Bar with a cool guy from Chonburi and then headed for the new Little Choices Bar ; about five or six guys there, but I could not scrutinise them as much as I would have liked, because one preyed on me and did not stop talking. When he finally left, the brown-skinned young guy I had noticed at first had disappeared.

I gave the almost next-door Guyz Bar a miss as there was no boy sitting in front, and went then to another bar that the Chonburi guy had told me about - and I had never heard of this place before, though it is open since three or four months. It is called SM Bar but has nothing to do with what you could imagine. This bar is located on the south side of Chomsin Road, west of the railway (about 400 m from the level crossing) and it is just an ordinary bar and massage with five boys ; as it was beginning to rain, I stayed there more than I had thought and with the influence of numerous Chang beers, I finished the evening with one of the waiters in the so-called massage room.

All in all a nice but short stay in Hua Hin where I found more masculine boys than before, and where I always promise to myself that I should stay longer next time. The hotel I staid was a steal with big clean quiet rooms, a pool and one of the best locations in town (close to the gay bars) for only 980 THB.

To-morrow will be another day and atmosphere with a flight to Ubon Ratchathani where I will have two days to explore the town - at least the still not flooded areas.

New stage

When you think you know all the best places in Thailand, you just wait for another year and everything will be changed.

So if you want to be in the know now in Pattaya, you will have to bring your friends to Tamnan Chon (on Pattaya 3 close to new Hollywood) which is the newest place to go for a nice evening. You only have to love thai music, and you will listen to three or four bands singing luk thung, as well as string with intervals for dancing : a modern version of Tamnan Isan or Sri Saket with good eating, sturdy wooden tables and chairs, and the usual good service. No coyotee boys however. The time just seemed to fly when I went there with Tam and four of his friends (allowing him to gain more face in the same time). What I liked most was listening at all the audience singing together when the band suddenly stopped singing : this was in tune, enthusiastic, and very impressive. In fact it is in these moments that I understand why I love Thailand - and do not ask me why, I could not answer.

Tamnan Chon in Pattaya

My first stay in Pattaya is now coming to an end, and I can only report of the few bars I went in ; as usual in Boyztown, Funny Boys still has a very welcoming staff, and boys mostly to my taste unlike most other bars in the area. Besides this, I could find the new bar that  the former Street Boy owner has bought : it is called David, a big place with white colour as the theme. They should open before the end of this month in Pattayaland on the same side as Cupidol and Sawatdee.

I had five great days in Pattaya with lots of sun in Jomtien, not to many people on the beach or on the streets ; sure things will have changed when I will come back in two weeks. For now it will be a mix of Bangkok and Hua Hin with a trip to Isan, the only fear being of course the huge flood that are now hurting so many people in the country. A good news being that I will be on my own after one week with Tam ... not that I do not like being with him but having a full freedom is not so bad either.

Awkward

For our second night in Bangkok, Tam and me went for a drink in City Walk, a rather out-of-the way place (near Saranrom Palace) ; not a lot of customers but we went probably too early. Too early as well for having a chance to find boys hustling along the streets. However I could see two of them sitting on a bridge rail and they were handsome enough to justify a further trip there. We also went to some other Saphan Khwai bars, mainly to the famous "Charmming" which had been falsely announced as closed. However there were not a lot of boys sitting there, but all of them as cute as usual.

Tam is now with me in Pattaya, which has prevented me so far to make some detailed exploration. However I saw enough to say I now realize that what had been said on the boards is not completely false. Yes there are still a lot of people in Sunee but when you come only once a year you can immediately notice how many bars have closed, how much they are missed in the scene, and also how much arabic places slowly invade the area. And I think that without all the boys that used to roam along the sois, the atmosphere is not quite the same as before - even if I would not have only spoken to anyone of them.

Speaking of questionable boys, I found myself in a very awkward situation in Jomtien when a -legal- seller came to sit with me, as we know each other since two years. All of a sudden he left to another customer leaving me with his young brother (13 y/o but looking only 10). And this boy was innocently sitting near me, making himself at home, sipping his Cola and lazily stretching his legs. Ten minutes seemed like one full hour. The fact that I felt so uncomfortable during this time tells a lot about the present hysteria about underage boys whom we should avoid as if they were plague-stricken people.

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)

Christmas ahead of time

Unwrapping the gifts

Only one week to go … I spent my whole weekend gathering more information, packing my bags, downloading thai music to my MP3 for the long flight, all this with an unique thrill of anticipation that only an impending trip to Tailand can get you into.

Exactly the same thrill that I felt when I was a child and Christmas was coming : I cannot wait to discover what presents I will find under the tree. It's the excitement of not knowing what this month will bring … whom I may see … where I may find someting or someone.

What is most incredible is that unique feeling is exactly the same I had before the first trip fourteen yers ago … At 56 I am somewhat jaded by many things in life .. except by what is the aim of a whole boring year and occupies a lot of my mind every day and every night. And I am pretty sure this is not due only to the boys, but to the general atmosphere of a country that I love .. the atmosphere I had felt from my very first hour in Bangkok when I was walking in the morning along the busy lanes near Malaysia Hotel.

Fourteen years ago, Christmas began coming in October and never moved any more.

Happiness

Only four weeks to go .. I have just come to the point when I have less waiting time than the total amount of time I will spend in Thailand, and this is exactly the point when the next stay turns from an unreachable illusion to a possible fact.

No must-to-do list this time as two-thirds of what I schedule usually stay undone. I only have a booked flight form Bangkok to Ubon on October 28 th and the rest of the stay will be organised from day to day. I just noticed that there will be a long holiday around the 23rd of October so I will have to come to Pattaya some days before. Better to stay flexible as weather, politics, health hazards (and boys) could shatter any tight schedule.

Am I getting older ? I feel that I should be much more cautious this time with many things. I am really concerned about mosquito-borne deseases especially as I will spend some days in the Northeast. And some stories about the atmosphere getting worse in Pattaya are worrying .. not so much about crimes as it is only a matter of not being in the wrong place at the wrong time : but dealing with some of the new patronage Pattaya is now attracting seems more and more difficult for this farang who likes peacefulness, politeness and good eduaction, all of which do not seem to be the main characteristics of some of the new Pattaya visitors.

Hey, it could be worse .. what would be really worrying would be not being able to go to Thailand any more because of money, health, or work … for the time being I am as excited as before my second trip because I know since then that Thailand is the place where I always find happiness.

Hope

You are there so there is a dream
There is a dream so there is hope

These are the first words of one of the greatest lukthung hits of the year by Phai Phongsathon, the cute male singer from Yasothon (mi thoe jung mii khwamfan).

There is hope because once again I should have another stay in Thailand in two and a half month and this prospect fills me with joy – as childish as it may sound for those of you who live full time there.

I have not updated the blog since a long time because of too much work and also too many bad news : troubles in Bangkok, euro's plummetting value, and new rules regarding retirement age in my country : my government wants me to work for about two years more than expected … not very fair if you ask me (more appropriate words being treason and disgrace).

The drought hitting Thailand this year made me also very concerned about my boyfriend Tam who could not work at his farm, and I felt he was quite upset by the severe lack of rain. He has just been hired as a cook in a hotel restaurant in Jomtien and I hope everything will be OK for him.

Even the webboards about gay Thailand could not help alleviate the bad atmosphere. The main one has now turned into a hopeless battlefield where there is very little to read except for some trip reports. One of the posters – the famous LMTU – is one of the few bothering to give interesting information and feelings, but he is generally ranted at by some posters who seem to spend their whole aimless life behind a computer screen (although I admit not knowing – and not being interested by – the whole story). Gaybutton starting a new board again is a good news and the first threads seem to be encouraging (link on the right) - and yes this will be make all of us youger by many years !

I am now in the process of planning my stay and have a lot of housework arranging flights and hotels with the aim to visit some new places in Isaan and also taking my time in Bangkok and Pattaya. And I have to say I am more and more often thinking of having Tam or another brown-skinned Thai boy in my bed …

Uncertain times

I am currently not in Thailand and far from being there … in fact I am just in the middle of my stay in Farangland and it is still five months and a half before I land again in Suwanaphum – flight booked since one month

Despite being very busy at work, I keep tightly in touch with what's going on in Thailand now and I understand the situation is very hot and could change for the worst at short notice. My opinion about all this doesn't matter except for the fact that all this mess is a very sad time for thai people whom I like so much, and beginning with the Highest Person in the country.

And also it seems another step in a downwards spiral which could bring Thailand to a point where I would not be interested to go there again … I am far from it now, having invested so much time and passion to learn this country, loving it so much and still being excited to go there as if it were the first trip.

You should see me recording thai music on my MP3 for my next trip … Or answering with all the details an inquiry about Ubon gay places on a gay webboard (which gave me a strong desire to plan a short visit there very soon …). Not what you could imagine from a respected mature adult …

Would I go if I were to leave in two weeks ? Of course yes but I would be very worried, not so much about my own security but because of all the hindrances the reds' actions would put across my way. I can live in Bangkok without setting a foot in Silom and Siam Square for sure, although I would miss my frequent jaunts to Dicks Café or the Soi Pratuchai massage places. From what I understand, my beloved Saphan Kwai area is not affected at all, and Saranrom area is still brimmed with boys at night - cute as ever and more willing than ever from what I understand on a thai website - although they moved a little further from the former area.

What is more disturbing are the road checks, time losses, and everything which could happen which would thwart the most carefully scheduled plans … This is why nothing is planned yet : I intended at first to go in Chiang Mai again with short stops in Uthai Thani and Phitsanuloke (where I just heard of a new gay bar) but am now more inclined towards Isaan.

Anyway being able to go there again would be so great in itself in these uncertain times that everything else will come as a bonus.

Samui

Yes the pool is in Koh Samui ; at least this is what we could guess from this picture.

I never went there despite some good information we read here and there about gay nightlife in Chaweng. Samui is not yet in my plans for my next trip (just booked my flight at a reasonable rate but still a long time from to-day).

By the way I opened a Twitter account (see link in the upper right corner of this page) but I am not smart enough to be sure it will be useful or not ...

Trifles

I still wonder how I am able to endure eleven months at home when I perfectly know that for the next four or five years, my stays in Thailand will only be the usual four-weeks trips – if everything goes well ! I am said one could get mental disorders from situations like this ?

How much I would like to explore the country on my own, go wherever I wish to go and stay as long as I want … for now it's only a dream and a dream which could come true .. or not ! Uncertainties about retirement age, about health and everything which could happen, about the future of our euro, seem to grow every year.

Some novelties have just come to enlighten the time I have to spend here … trivial things but which are so important when you are stuck in a neverending winter and a boring routine..

First there was the new Lonely Planet French edition … I know some regard this travel guide as useless and tacky and I am the first one to escape the places they advise too strongly. They have some good information however and they provide good reading when you are far from Thailand. For the first time they have included a chapter about a province which is one my favourite ones : Phayao ; this shows that they try hard to find interesting new places to visit. I was egoistically relieved that they did not list my preferred hotels in Bangkok and Pattaya, which will make them stay affordable and not too busy … And two provinces I want to visit one day – after viewing some TV programs about them – were not listed as well, so I guess that I should be very quiet next time in Nong Bua Lamphu and Uthai Thani …

Another important (for me) trifle was the new Thai TV schedule. I know there are a lot of thai channels on the net but I prefer to look at TV on a real TV set so my choice is limited to the international thai channel known as TV Global Network. Since January they have a new schedule with lots of music which seem to come from Fun TV .. if you don't know this channel, your boyfriend does. Many programs show lots of songs in the lukthung and phua tchiwit genre, and this improves daily life a lot …

You need everything when you count eight months before going back to the place you love

Happy New Year 2553

A very happy New Year to everyone ... 
                                                 and thank you for coming