Rainy day

To-day was a holiday in my country but it did not stop raining, so I had
a lot of time to surf the net.

I came across one of the many thai websites that I did not know, and this place seems quite interesting especially for finding a boy.The site is called Siamdevil but the links I had found are now all down.

This guy is called Tor, 19, and from what he says, he looks for someone who will take care him.

I will not (however I logged his phone number just in case), but he really made my day ...

Life in thai prisons

Some of us often use the Paknam web network to learn thai, order books, read thai blogs and forums, and much more. This network includes many websites which are maintained by students from a school in Samut Prakan, and in fact I could not think of more complete resources covering many aspects of life in Thailand.

One of the students, who from what I understand was the leader in developing the sites, was called Gor, and he used to write a weekly column in the Bangkok Post when he was still very young. I had met him in his school where I had bought some books and besides being quite cute, he was also a very shy guy but with a great personality.

Gor is now in prison for having been found with five drug pills in his pocket ; he has just written a book which is a story about life of thai teenagers. This book (in English !) is entitled "Gor's Thailand life" and could interest many of us I am sure ...

Gor a student, columnist, webmaster, drug addict, father and prisoner

Gor also writes a blog about life in prison and describes his daily life ; you will find it at http://www.thaiprisonlife.com/

Those who want to know more about sex in thai male prisons will probably read this excerpt with some interest ...
Now I am the cell boss which is sort of good news, but it is also really bad news. I didn’t ask for this job. The old cell boss is now chained up in solitary confinement. Last week, about five people from my cell gang raped a hilltribe boy. It happened during the middle of the night and as I was sleeping I didn’t learn about it until the following morning. Normally these kinds of things don’t get reported if it happens to boys from Burma, Cambodia or Laos. They are never here longer than 90 days. But, this hilltribe boy knew someone who had been here for a while and he reported it for him. The cell boss didn’t actually have anything to do with this gang rape, but he is responsible for anything that happens. So, all of them have now been chained up and moved to a different section of the prison. The cell boss will probably wear leg irons for about three months. I doubt he will get his job back again.
Rapes don’t really happen that often. Usually after the first time it happens, the boy sort of agrees for it to continue in return for food and other stuff. This doesn’t mean that they are gay. It is just that they have been here a long time. People can also buy sexual favours from the lady boys. I hope I will never have to do that, but I must admit that some of the ladyboys are starting to look attractive. Pornographic magazines are naturally banned in prison. However, it is possible to rent one for the night for one packet of cigarettes. If the guards catch you they will punish you and confiscate the magazine. The owner of the magazine will then fine you 15 packets of cigarettes. You have to pay otherwise you will get beaten up.

Silver scab

This is my biggest secret and I cannot hide it : I suffer from some psoriasis (โรคสะเก็ดเงิน in thai, which could be literally translated as "silver scab desease"). If you do not know what it is, the thai word says it all : it is a skin disease which causes white-silvery lesions mainly on elbows and legs ; although looking like lepra, it is not contagious at all and it is said that about 2-3 % of the western population is affected.

By chance, mine is not too widespread and not too spectacular, but nevertheless can be very annoying on the beach, or with a boy. I had to download information in thai about this disease, so that I could show it to the boy should he worry about these curious spots on my skin ("you motoby eksident ? "). In fact I never had to use it, and my boyfriend accepted it without any problem.

I tried many treatments and no one really worked except sunbathing in a hot sun ... in fact psoriasis provides me with a steady excuse for going to Thailand and the fact is I generally come back with an almost healed skin ; unfortunately this lasts only for about one month and then the lesions and the itching come back.

I guess that in my case it was caused mainly by stress so I can only hope it will improve as soon as I will retire ; as it is still a long time before this blessed day, I have to live with it for the time being.

Hot and clean water in Sattahip, near Pattaya ...

A massage boy in Jomtian advised me to go and see a specialist in Sri Racha hospital, which proves that thai people may suffer from it as well (but probably not because of stress !!!). I went there and the physician provided me with a very complete brochure (in thai) explaining the causes, the effects, and possible treatments. He gave me a lot of medicines too, and they seemed quite efficient although I don't know wether the improvements I felt came from his treatment or from my holiday ... probably both, as every time I have a paddle in clean and hot sea water, things seem to improve as well.

I have begun scheduling my next holiday .. and because of my psoriasis I am compelled to give at least fifteen days to Pattaya ... What a pity, how much I would prefer to visit all the wats and museums elsewhere in the country ....

Songkran Festival

I never attended Songkran festival in Thailand and never will until the glorious day when I will retire ... seven long years if it ever happens ...

However it seems worthy to be there if I judge after this picture that I found in a french blog .... what is the percentage of cuties on this car ? About 100 % I would say ....

Missing Thailand

Time elapses so slowly now ... like every year I am entering the period when I have loads of work, and in the same time I am craving for sun and heat after the winter (although this one was a little bit TOO bearable ..).

If I had not my family, good friends and nice pastimes (such as bike riding if you want to know), I would feel like a prisoner counting every day ... and I have not yet fulfilled half of my sentence here in Farangland ! Useless to say that reading the boards are my daily breath of fresh air ... I would feel so miserable without them !

Some readers could think that when in Thailand I only go to the bars ... not really true but these places are probably what makes Thailand so special to me. Beaches, temples and mountains can be found in many countries all over the world, but where can you find these magic places ? Looking at these beautiful thai boys, inviting them for a chat and more, this is exactly what I am beginning to miss here.
I am very fond of every news I can read about closures, new bars, transformations ... like every year there will be new places to discover, and reading about them makes your imagination wandering to new decors, new atmospheres ... For example I cannot wait to go to this Happy Boys Bar near Sunee which seems to be very promising from what I read on the Ting Tong board. Just hoping they will still be there next October !

One bar which closed since I left is the Focus Bar (facing New Paradise Inn in Sunee Plaza) ... although employing some questionable lads, it was a quiet place that I liked - although I would never have taken a boy from there ! A German website had a picture of this bar that I am happy to see again (especially as I had a long talk with the boy in the orange/grey jersey). A poster wrote that this place could open again, perhaps it has now ?

Another place where I want to go is the former "La Cage" Bar, which is said to have been sold. I knew this place when it was a sleazy nameless joint (although some called it "Young Guns" bar, a name which fitted perfectly with the place ...) and liked it, especially as I had met my former boyfriend there (a sturdy long-haired Udon guy, who was fresh from the farm when I met him but became too quickly a Pattaya boy)...I could never go back there after it became "La Cage" : too clean, too bright ... Will the new owners turn to the former format ? I doubt it, but you just can hope when you are 9 500 km from where the action is ...

200 days and counting

I have not yet realised that I will go to Thailand for only one stay this year. Not enough time, unexpected expenses, so I will go only in October. My flight is not booked yet, but the travel fares seem to stay on the same level as before, so I am not in a hurry.

From what I read every day on the boards, things seem to change quickly in Thailand. Some say there are very few people in the bars especially in Bangkok, others report about unexpected raids for all kind of offenses, and the baht is at its highest level against the euro since the end of the year 2002. I wonder if this country will still be a dream destination in five or ten years.

Of course I am already planning, because this is the best way to be able to stand boredom, dullness and stress at work. Will Tam be with me ? I did not phone him since more than 2 months, and he did not call me back as well. "Mutual oblivion" would be a nice way to break up ... And I think more and more of staying alone this time in Thailand, like before : free to go where I want to go, to "off" whoever and whenever I wish, to choose a cheap hotel when I think it is enough for me and to turn air-con down if it is too cold in the room... Pretty trivial I know but holidays are so short and freedom in everydaylife so scarce ...

If I am alone again I know I will miss going with him to thai places, chatting about all and everything, and feeling so good with someone I trust and love... but I have reached a point where freedom claims its rights again, be it for only one stay. I just fear to stumble into him in Pattaya, because I know I will immediately cry my eyes out and run towards him....

Tribute to Dong

With Dong in Phanom Rung, Buriram province

Bangkok memories

Since I come to Thailand, I never gave Bangkok a miss. In fact my first stay (eleven years ago) was spent only in Bangkok but it was only for ten days, and I never felt bored at all, as I still had to discover everything...

My first hotel was the well-known Malaysia Hotel which was strongly recommended by the "Men of Thailand" Guide (which is not issued any more). This hotel had - and seems to have still now - a special atmosphere, and a nice smell that I will never forget.

My days were devoted to visiting Bangkok tourist attractions and hanging up in eating places ; at night, I made my way to Patpong where my favourite haunts were the Galaxy Bar and Khun Sweet Cigar ; in these days, Soi Twilight was still very quiet with only three or four bars, and I (already) prefered the seedier bars in Soi Anuman Ratchathon. I ventured to Pattaya only on my second stay in 1996, but was very disappointed by the boys there and left quickly ... how times have changed ! 

Nevertheless after one year I decided to test the bars in Saphan Kwai, where you could go only by bus or taxi. It was a long trip in the evening traffic jams, but I immediately loved the boys bars there. I met a boy in Aladdin who was my boy special for about two years and whom I was really in love with.

I remember that at this time, seeing the Victory Monument from the green bus (line 74) was always a great time, as it meant I was getting closer to my dearling ... This is why I regard this place as my special place in Thailand - unfortunately looking at it from the Skytrain through glasses covered with advertising is much less romantic nowadays ...

Victory Monument

It was another Saphan Kwai boy who convinced me to stay in a Saphan Kwai hotel. "Malaysia no good", he said, and advised me to book in the "Embassy" Hotel which is next door to the Saphan Kway gay bars. His name was Dong, and he enlightened my life in 2000. He was a gorgeous isaan guy and I had a short trip with him in Buriram and Ubon, but he did not wanted me to go to his home ... "too poor". I had met him in "Street Boy" bar during my first stay in May 2000, we staid mostly together during my second stay in 2000 but I couldn't find him again when I went back in 2001.

I "offed" some other guys from the Saphan Kwai bars, all of them being very nice and cute.

Each time I go back to Thailand, Saphan Kwai is now my starting point : I love the location (which was still better when we landed at Don Muang), the atmosphere and .. the boys, and I am still grateful to Dong who convinced me to take this area as my second home away from home.

Look look look ....

......... Just for fun ...............

Shorts

Singha beer

From a thread on thai360.com, I hear that Singha beer is changing its alcohol content down by 1% to 5% (the thread reporting about this was curiously entitled "Singha turns gay"...).

As it is my favourite drink when I hang out in the bars or when eating, I feel quite concerned by this important news ... Well, it is not such a bad change, as I should be less tipsy after a night out. I just hope that this wonderful beverage will taste as nice as before.... Anyway Singha beer is still 6 degrees here in France.

Google Analytics

I have just installed "Google analytics" with my blog, so that I can get some better knowledge about people who visit this place (at least where they come from and how did they link). Not that I am really interested in getting a lot of hits, but this is a pleasant toy... So I just can say hello to all new and regular visitors, especially to some who seem to visit quite frequently. I would like to update more often but hey, what could be of interest being so far from Funland, and not only from a mere geographical point of view.

Chiang Khong

I keep fond memories from the night we spent with Tam last time in Chiang Khong (Chiang Rai province). We were staying in a nice guesthouse facing the lao side, and I really liked the quiet atmosphere there. As for Tam, he got the best message for his aching leg and often spoke about it after we returned (see October 2006).

I just read that there will be a new bridge linking Thailand with Laos in Chiang Khong, so go there very quickly before it becomes another Mae Sai ....

Thai music

Listening to thai music helps a lot to overcome the uneventful and boring days I have to go through before going back to Thailand.

I discovered a wonderful tool for listening and recording thai radios ; it is a small free software which is called Screamer : you just have to go to their website (www.screamer-radio.com), download it and you will be able to listen to - and record - radios from all genres and all countries. For Thailand only five or six are preset but among them there is Virgin Hitz which broadcasts the current thai hits, or Muangthai Chayio which has some lukthung at night. I try to send them some links from time to time to broaden the choice. My tastes are not limited to thai music and I discovered a wide range of radios for the music that I like most : dance music, hardcore, US country and even guggenmusik (very eclectic, isn't it ?).

Other places for listening thai music are Trueworld.net where you have to register for free, and of course the ethaimusic website where you can get many lyrics and some translations.

I find that thai music is nice but this has probably a lot to do with the fact that I love Thailand. Labanoon (a male group from the south) and I-Nam (the singer being a cute Buriram guy) play the music I prefer.

Madiow, one of the G-Jr cuties

Besides this, thai music scene provides a lot of eye candy, such as the famous twins Bang Kaew or lastyear's hot boyband G-JR project (a group of teens recruited through the Grammy development project). Their music is rather run-of-the-mill but God are they cute ...







I also like some songs for their words especially when these words are in keeping with my present mood. For example if I were currently in a karaoke with Tam, I would ask for this song by Instinct : "Khor yoo khondio" (I would like to stay alone), or this one by Peacemaker : "yoo yaang ngao-ngao" (living with loneliness), because they express better than words all I am feeling now.

I sometimes wonder whether I am not going back into my teen years ...

Post-Thailand depression

If you go to Thailand only for your holidays, you know well what I mean when I talk about post-Thailand depression. It generally begins somewhere in a taxi rushing in the night to the Bangkok airport - no matter wether you go east to Suwanaphum or north to Don Muang. And it disappears all of a sudden when you go through the customs leaving your country. Unfortunately there is a long period (from some weeks to several months) when you just have to live with it.

A boy I came across surfing a thai webboard - he should be an efficient nurse

Of course you may try to alleviate it through your work - if not boring -, your family, your friends, sport or whatever. Nothing is efficient enough. So here is a short list of what could help further :
- reading the webboards / sites / blogs related with Thailand (and not only the gay ones, some of which are rather depressing ...)
- looking at the international Thai TV channel which can be received all over the world with a dish
- preparing the next trip (but the excitement fades quickly when you realise that you use several long months to organize a stay that will last only some short weeks)
- learning thai language
- listening to thai radios on the web, keeping updated with the current hits and training for singing them in some  Soi Day&Night karaoke
- now and then, drinking a thai beer that you will have bought from the next asian shop (beware the cute shop assistant who will make things worse ...)
- of course calling your thai boyfriend if you have one (I am not sure I have one now)
- reading your Thailand travel logs of many years ago - just to be sure that things were not that better before ...
- looking for the umpteenth time at the pictures / films you made in Thailand and remembering the good times.

If you have other ideas, please feel free to post them ... Still eight months to go back (eight months !!!!!)