I was quietly looking at the Thai TV trying to forget the snowy landscape I have now around my place. It was some program about new thai movies and my eyes were suddenly caught by some male cuties ... a short enquiry on my favourite website about thai pictures and I understood that a new teenager film has just come out on the thai screens.
It is called "Pidtermyai Huajai Wawoon" ("Hormones" is the English title); they describe it as "A heart-warming movie for all that brings the joy of summer when the school holiday has come. The film focuses to 4 stories from 4 highschool boys and girls who come across different love situations during their school break. For them, this summer is a special time to learn love."
Nothing gay, but an unpretentious story picturing another set of nice thai boys.
March 23, 2008
March 9, 2008
Learning thai
I came in Thailand for the first time in June 1996, and never could have imagined to visit the country without at least speaking the most basic language.
At that time, I was still not connected to the net and anyway the resources were still very scarce. And being in France was a restriction for an easy access to learning material : I had forgotten most of my English due to lack of practising, and learning thai from French was the only option. So I first worked the Assimil method, which is curiously named "introduction to thai language" whereas it is called "English (or whatever) without trouble" for most other languages. This handbook is based on reading romanized thai and listening at everyday conversations. Not the best for really learning a language but it was a good introduction to the basic words and expressions, and probably for a full awareness to the importance of tunes.
My first stay made me quickly understand that it would not be enough, and I immediately found out that learning how to write was an absolute necessity not only to get around in Thailand, but mostly to have a thorough knowledge of the language. I bought two books in France ("Méthode de thai" volumes 1 and 2 by a teacher in the French Institute for Oriental Languages) which also came along with audio tapes. I also found a little treasure – also in French - promising you to be able to read and write thai within two weeks ("Grapho-Thaï 14", DK Editions, out of print since many years).
Using these books was the most difficult part of the process. Not that they were bad of course (although a little bit too academic), but the time had come when I had to overcome the difficulties which could not be ignored any more : the alphabet with these off-putting letters which are pronounced one way if standing before the vowel and another way if standing after, these vowels which are written before, or above, or beneath, or "around" the consonant, the long phrases without any space between the words, and of course the tone rules. Lack of logic is a big turn-off for Cartesian French people, and this was the time when I had to struggle hard for not dropping out. In the same time thai television had appeared on the dish, which helped to keep the ear familiar with thai intonations, although it was – and still is – very hard to understand everything.
After a lot of writing, trying to understand and memorizing, it seemed one day that everything had suddenly become clear : I could get the right tone without thinking of it, isolate the words in the phrases, understand what I was reading, and write the Assimil exercises in thai. However I was still unable to build elaborate phrases. This is when I turned to what I would call an essential step to learning thai : the well-known "The fundamentals of the thai language" which I bought in Asia Books in Bangkok (also out of print now). This one was in English, which helped me to improve my English too, but most important of all was the fact that it provided me with many new words, expressions and phrases.
Together with working on this book, I used the "Bangkok Post" Tuesday lessons which were very useful for new expressions and words linked to current events. It is a pity they seem to have stopped it last November at least on the web. I read every lesson, writing down every unknown word and looking for sample phrases on the net (the Lexitron dictionary is a fantastic resource for this). I also tried to study from thai textbooks I found in Thailand (Pathom 1 and so on like thai children ...), and of course from all the websites that you can find now, the better being probably the learningthai.com website and all its related resources.
Learning more words and spoken expressions is now my main target, along with trying not to forget too much of what I have already learnt : like every language, practising is essential and staying only one month a year in Thailand is definitely far from enough….
At that time, I was still not connected to the net and anyway the resources were still very scarce. And being in France was a restriction for an easy access to learning material : I had forgotten most of my English due to lack of practising, and learning thai from French was the only option. So I first worked the Assimil method, which is curiously named "introduction to thai language" whereas it is called "English (or whatever) without trouble" for most other languages. This handbook is based on reading romanized thai and listening at everyday conversations. Not the best for really learning a language but it was a good introduction to the basic words and expressions, and probably for a full awareness to the importance of tunes.
My first stay made me quickly understand that it would not be enough, and I immediately found out that learning how to write was an absolute necessity not only to get around in Thailand, but mostly to have a thorough knowledge of the language. I bought two books in France ("Méthode de thai" volumes 1 and 2 by a teacher in the French Institute for Oriental Languages) which also came along with audio tapes. I also found a little treasure – also in French - promising you to be able to read and write thai within two weeks ("Grapho-Thaï 14", DK Editions, out of print since many years).
 |
| Good student |
After a lot of writing, trying to understand and memorizing, it seemed one day that everything had suddenly become clear : I could get the right tone without thinking of it, isolate the words in the phrases, understand what I was reading, and write the Assimil exercises in thai. However I was still unable to build elaborate phrases. This is when I turned to what I would call an essential step to learning thai : the well-known "The fundamentals of the thai language" which I bought in Asia Books in Bangkok (also out of print now). This one was in English, which helped me to improve my English too, but most important of all was the fact that it provided me with many new words, expressions and phrases.
Together with working on this book, I used the "Bangkok Post" Tuesday lessons which were very useful for new expressions and words linked to current events. It is a pity they seem to have stopped it last November at least on the web. I read every lesson, writing down every unknown word and looking for sample phrases on the net (the Lexitron dictionary is a fantastic resource for this). I also tried to study from thai textbooks I found in Thailand (Pathom 1 and so on like thai children ...), and of course from all the websites that you can find now, the better being probably the learningthai.com website and all its related resources.
Learning more words and spoken expressions is now my main target, along with trying not to forget too much of what I have already learnt : like every language, practising is essential and staying only one month a year in Thailand is definitely far from enough….
March 8, 2008
Farewell
I just got the news of Wowpow’s passing away … a very sad news indeed as he was one of the outstanding posters on the boards, and his posts were always informative and positive contributions. Did you notice he is (I am still unable to write "was") one of the few who has always been posting with the same handle along the years and on all the boards ?
I had met him some years ago and treated him to a drink in Panorama, as I wanted to make amends for some minor misunderstanding we had on the boards. He was a delightful guest and I will never forget the hour we spent together. He was I think the only member of the webboards community I had the luck to have met personnally, which makes me all the more saddened by this unexpected loss.
I had met him some years ago and treated him to a drink in Panorama, as I wanted to make amends for some minor misunderstanding we had on the boards. He was a delightful guest and I will never forget the hour we spent together. He was I think the only member of the webboards community I had the luck to have met personnally, which makes me all the more saddened by this unexpected loss.
February 17, 2008
Like being there
No post for about one month … not that I do not think about Thailand but what I can only do is thinking of it. Is it so boring to wait for the next trip ? Finally not too much : almost every bit of my free time is devoted to Thailand, and I do not mean only surfing the web.I recently bought a new MP 3 reader and my choice was dictated only by the way I will use it in Thailand : listening to thai music during the flight, and listening to thai radio when sitting at the beach or at the swimming pool. I am now downloading some fantastic thai radio streams that will provide me all the music I want. And these are as many minutes when my mind is in Thailand and not here.
I am also doing my homework in order not to waste any second during my next trip. Reading the new French edition of the Lonely Planet guides (Thailand and Laos have just been updated …) helps a lot, looking after and improving my thai is sometimes demanding after a long day at work but this is more time I virtually spend in Thailand. And beginning to learn speaking and writing lao (more difficult than I thought because more different to thai than I expected) gives me another incentive to be more diligent.
I am not sure to go back in June because of work, but in my mind I will go there on June the 17 th. And I will stick to this perspective as long as I can.
January 20, 2008
Financial report
It has been two months since I came back from Thailand, and I am now living the usual depressing gloomy life of someone who is waiting to go back. When ? I still do not know but my brain is programmed to go in June.
When in Thailand, I try to log every expense I make in order to better plan for the next time and also to compare them on a long period. I thought I could open my books for everyone in case this helps, especially those who like me are not rich and cannot afford throwing their hard-earned money down the drain.
I have split my expenses into seven main items and then divided each subtotal by the amount of nights I spent in Thailand (which roughly equals the number of full days, as I generally arrive in the afternoon and leave in the evening .The results are the following :
- Accomodation (including tips) : 881 THB – up from 713 THB on my previous holiday ; this would had been even lower if I had not paid two extra nights for my own convenience. For this price I always stay in full-comfort hotels with TV – pool – fridge – air-con and restaurant, including four nights in the Chiang Mai Novotel.
- Meals (including casual drinks and snacks) : 884 THB – down from a previous 967 THB – fewer expensive restaurants with Tam I guess …
- Transport : 517 THB down from 827 THB in 2006 when we rent a car for many days, and of course I had to pay for Tam’s tickets.
- Bars, discos, massage (drinks and fees ; « tip for boy » not included) : 1 601 THB which seems to be very high but some nights out with Tam and his friends could explain this.
- Tips and gifts for boys – including Tam : 2 715 THB / night, down from 3 269 THB in 2006 : spent fewer days with Tam, tried not to off the same boy for many days (but could not achieve it because of the lao cutie) – and was too generous by Pattaya standards. I did not take a boy every night.
- Others (laundry – books – newspapers – clothes – internet – health and so on) : 760 THB. I generally buy all my new clothes in Thailand.
Grand amount – flight not included : 7 357 THB a day … way over what I can afford but at least I know that more than half of it are paid to the bars and the boys. And it is markedly cheaper than when Tam was staying with me during my whole holiday - we have been staying together for only five days in 2007.
I guess I will REALLY fly back next June (another problem being what my boss will think about it) …
When in Thailand, I try to log every expense I make in order to better plan for the next time and also to compare them on a long period. I thought I could open my books for everyone in case this helps, especially those who like me are not rich and cannot afford throwing their hard-earned money down the drain.
 |
| . . . . . Sparkling neon signs and flowing money . . . . . . |
I have split my expenses into seven main items and then divided each subtotal by the amount of nights I spent in Thailand (which roughly equals the number of full days, as I generally arrive in the afternoon and leave in the evening .The results are the following :
- Accomodation (including tips) : 881 THB – up from 713 THB on my previous holiday ; this would had been even lower if I had not paid two extra nights for my own convenience. For this price I always stay in full-comfort hotels with TV – pool – fridge – air-con and restaurant, including four nights in the Chiang Mai Novotel.
- Meals (including casual drinks and snacks) : 884 THB – down from a previous 967 THB – fewer expensive restaurants with Tam I guess …
- Transport : 517 THB down from 827 THB in 2006 when we rent a car for many days, and of course I had to pay for Tam’s tickets.
- Bars, discos, massage (drinks and fees ; « tip for boy » not included) : 1 601 THB which seems to be very high but some nights out with Tam and his friends could explain this.
- Tips and gifts for boys – including Tam : 2 715 THB / night, down from 3 269 THB in 2006 : spent fewer days with Tam, tried not to off the same boy for many days (but could not achieve it because of the lao cutie) – and was too generous by Pattaya standards. I did not take a boy every night.
- Others (laundry – books – newspapers – clothes – internet – health and so on) : 760 THB. I generally buy all my new clothes in Thailand.
Grand amount – flight not included : 7 357 THB a day … way over what I can afford but at least I know that more than half of it are paid to the bars and the boys. And it is markedly cheaper than when Tam was staying with me during my whole holiday - we have been staying together for only five days in 2007.
I guess I will REALLY fly back next June (another problem being what my boss will think about it) …
January 1, 2008
December 29, 2007
Feast
I am upset everytime I come in Pattaya … I hardly have got out of the bus and it seems that the whole atmosphere is loaded with beauty and sensuality … Bangkok has its fair share of nice boys in the streets but you don’t always get the feeling that you could actually sleep with them … too much civilised, too much normalised …
But all over the streets in Pattaya, wherever you look, you will see nice lads … be it riding a motorbike, working on a building site, waiting the customer in front of their shop or being a bell boy or the pool attendant in your (not gay) hotel. Why ? Probably because the booming economy in Pattaya lures many young men from all over the country – and I do not mean only for working in the sex industry. And that makes you getting an eyeful of cute boys when you walk along the sois, any time in the day and in the year .
The most beautiful face I saw during my last trip was from a motorbike getting me to Jomtien … it was 5 pm in the evening, the boy was packed in the back of a truck among other fellow workers, probably coming from some building area where they had been working hard the whole day . It lasted for fifteen seconds, and then our ways branched off …
Another one was among a bunch of roadworks workers who were mending the sewage pipes on the road leading to Jomtien … What stroke me at first was that despite the deafening noise and the stench, the guys were laughing at what they were doing – a perfect illustration of what sanuk means for the thai. I quickly noticed that some of them were real cuties under their dirty clothes, especially the one who was leaning against the truck. No saucy adventure to relate, but the simple memory of one of this short moments that make living in Pattaya, among other things, a permanent feast for the eyes …
But all over the streets in Pattaya, wherever you look, you will see nice lads … be it riding a motorbike, working on a building site, waiting the customer in front of their shop or being a bell boy or the pool attendant in your (not gay) hotel. Why ? Probably because the booming economy in Pattaya lures many young men from all over the country – and I do not mean only for working in the sex industry. And that makes you getting an eyeful of cute boys when you walk along the sois, any time in the day and in the year .
The most beautiful face I saw during my last trip was from a motorbike getting me to Jomtien … it was 5 pm in the evening, the boy was packed in the back of a truck among other fellow workers, probably coming from some building area where they had been working hard the whole day . It lasted for fifteen seconds, and then our ways branched off …
 |
| Everyday life in Pattaya - spot the cute one |
Another one was among a bunch of roadworks workers who were mending the sewage pipes on the road leading to Jomtien … What stroke me at first was that despite the deafening noise and the stench, the guys were laughing at what they were doing – a perfect illustration of what sanuk means for the thai. I quickly noticed that some of them were real cuties under their dirty clothes, especially the one who was leaning against the truck. No saucy adventure to relate, but the simple memory of one of this short moments that make living in Pattaya, among other things, a permanent feast for the eyes …
December 12, 2007
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 ...
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 ...
December 3, 2007
Bangkok extras (1)
During my last stay, I did not go to many places in Bangkok, except for my usual Saphan Khway bars and for my new-found playground in the Sanam Luang area ... However I thought it could be of interest to give a short report about the gay places I went.
Silom/Suriwong area
I went there once with my lao friend who had never come to Bangkok before. After a long day visiting some Bangkok tourist attractions (read : Wat Arun, BTS and the mobile phone zone in Mahboonkrong ...), I asked him wether he wanted to visit the gay places. He was OK and after Dick's Cafe we headed for Classic Boy - nothing to write home about - and X - Boys where we staid for the show. The room was full with customers - a big part of them being asian. I liked the show which was very professional, with a wide range of different scenes and different boys.
We also liked the Balcony, probably because they sell Beer Lao and the atmosphere is very lively ... and less noisy than before, which I really enjoyed.
Other places in the area were visited on my own because they are not places where you would bring neither your grandmother nor your boyfriend : Nature Boy for a short time of sleaze with the long-haired Chiang Rai boy (I was astonished he remembered I was French, although I had not visited for one year ...), the infamous Super A which remains true to form (with perhaps a better selection of boys than before), and the new Nice Boys below which has still a long way to go before matching its name. I also paid a visit to Solid where no one catched my fancy, and to My Way on Rama IV where the boys dance again on a small stage, which allows you to see them better than when they are heavily busy with other customers.
For my last evening in Bangkok (my flight left at midnight), I was also as free as the air, as Tam had already gone back home. I thought it would be a good idea to have a last massage and I headed to Suriwong at about 6 pm... The boys had not all come yet, so there were noone to be seen in front of Bonny ; I walked on and a guy in front of Red Massage tried to push me inside saying : "young boys, many boys" ... He was himself quite attractive but I chose to walk on to see more. Around the corner from the soi, I was again in Rama IV Road, I walked past K-Why where I saw only one boy.
I suddenly remembered a less-known massage place along Suriwong ; the cute face of one of the two boys sitting on the street was enough for me to climb upstairs. The name of the place is Eve House, it is not expansive but the boys are not as friendly as in Bonny and will ask upfont for a minimum 1000 THB tip for a "special message". However Kai, a 19 y/o from Khon Kaen was quite good except that he did not want to kiss on the lips. He knew how to press on the right buttons and I thought it was a nice way to leave Thailand ...
(to be continued)
 |
| Lao tourist in Bangkok |
I went there once with my lao friend who had never come to Bangkok before. After a long day visiting some Bangkok tourist attractions (read : Wat Arun, BTS and the mobile phone zone in Mahboonkrong ...), I asked him wether he wanted to visit the gay places. He was OK and after Dick's Cafe we headed for Classic Boy - nothing to write home about - and X - Boys where we staid for the show. The room was full with customers - a big part of them being asian. I liked the show which was very professional, with a wide range of different scenes and different boys.
We also liked the Balcony, probably because they sell Beer Lao and the atmosphere is very lively ... and less noisy than before, which I really enjoyed.
Other places in the area were visited on my own because they are not places where you would bring neither your grandmother nor your boyfriend : Nature Boy for a short time of sleaze with the long-haired Chiang Rai boy (I was astonished he remembered I was French, although I had not visited for one year ...), the infamous Super A which remains true to form (with perhaps a better selection of boys than before), and the new Nice Boys below which has still a long way to go before matching its name. I also paid a visit to Solid where no one catched my fancy, and to My Way on Rama IV where the boys dance again on a small stage, which allows you to see them better than when they are heavily busy with other customers.
For my last evening in Bangkok (my flight left at midnight), I was also as free as the air, as Tam had already gone back home. I thought it would be a good idea to have a last massage and I headed to Suriwong at about 6 pm... The boys had not all come yet, so there were noone to be seen in front of Bonny ; I walked on and a guy in front of Red Massage tried to push me inside saying : "young boys, many boys" ... He was himself quite attractive but I chose to walk on to see more. Around the corner from the soi, I was again in Rama IV Road, I walked past K-Why where I saw only one boy.
 |
| At a loose end in the afternoon ... go to Soi Twilight ! . . . . . . . . |
(to be continued)
November 26, 2007
Making up with my boyfriend
I generally spend the last ten days of my stay in Thailand in Pattaya ... relaxing, tanning, stocking up on impressions, images and feelings before the never-ending bad season at home.
So I came in Pattaya on November the 3rd to stay for ten nights and then going back to Bangkok for the last night before flying back home (or being executed, the feeling is about the same). No need to say that I lived these ten days to full capacity .. I read a thread in which someone explained his daily routine in Pattaya, I would not even dare to use such a word about my time here !
During the first five days, I spent most of my time alone or with the lao boy I already wrote about ... a fresh and genuine boy, an easy-going lad with whom you feel immediately good. And a smile which lights his face up about every minute or so ... Listening to him telling about his life in Laos was fascinating .. the life of a child living in a very small village in the middle of the jungle, his father killed by the Hmong rebels when he was still two years old, his mother killed by I do not know which insect in the forest ... perhaps true, and certainly very different from your ordinary thai boy.
I "offed" some other boys too, all from Sunee bars and all above legal limit if you want to know. One of them was a guy from Roi Et ... nice guy, good sex ... he came back to the hotel on the following afternoon and we had some romantic time near the swimming pool at dusk ... This could have been the beginning of a nice story until he asked me money for his time : 1000 THB for no sex and no invitation from me ... I gave him 500 THB as he did not seem to want to go back to his bar, and I did not see him again despite his numerous phone calls begging for more ... is this the new isaan generation ?
Nevertheless I have to say that the "highlight" of my stay was getting together with Tam again ... his friends in Pattaya had of course told him I was in town and he wanted to see my face again ... no objection from me, and so we met in front of my hotel on the 8 th ... I will never forget his broad smile when he turned round to me, the same cheerful face as when I met him four years ago in Threezone Bar. He staid in Pattaya for the five remaining days, which did not prevent me from offing one or two boys and having another nice massage in Royal House. I brought him to X-Ray with one of the boys I wanted to sleep with, and he was the most delightful companion he could be. We also spent more time together at the beach where everyone had asked about him.
I know now that I love him much more than I was thinking, but very differently from before : less time together, less sex than before, but a very strong friendship and the impression that you are close to someone who is very important in your life.
Tam is still at home with his mother ... he told me he has no boyfriend or girlfriend but "some girls like me very much" ... which I would translate as "I know a girl with which I will perhaps marry". He is now a farmer in his village, and I do not know if I should be sorry for not having been able to change his life ... If we had not met, perhaps he would be now an under-paid worker in some factory in Lamphun like most of his friends ... or perhaps he would have staid longer in Pattaya and met a much richer farang who would have fully supported him ...
Tam is now happy and free, he has a home and soon a wife and children, and he knows there is someone who still misses him. And I know I have got back my freedom without losing the boy I love.
So I came in Pattaya on November the 3rd to stay for ten nights and then going back to Bangkok for the last night before flying back home (or being executed, the feeling is about the same). No need to say that I lived these ten days to full capacity .. I read a thread in which someone explained his daily routine in Pattaya, I would not even dare to use such a word about my time here !
During the first five days, I spent most of my time alone or with the lao boy I already wrote about ... a fresh and genuine boy, an easy-going lad with whom you feel immediately good. And a smile which lights his face up about every minute or so ... Listening to him telling about his life in Laos was fascinating .. the life of a child living in a very small village in the middle of the jungle, his father killed by the Hmong rebels when he was still two years old, his mother killed by I do not know which insect in the forest ... perhaps true, and certainly very different from your ordinary thai boy.
 |
| Sunee Plaza during daytime |
I "offed" some other boys too, all from Sunee bars and all above legal limit if you want to know. One of them was a guy from Roi Et ... nice guy, good sex ... he came back to the hotel on the following afternoon and we had some romantic time near the swimming pool at dusk ... This could have been the beginning of a nice story until he asked me money for his time : 1000 THB for no sex and no invitation from me ... I gave him 500 THB as he did not seem to want to go back to his bar, and I did not see him again despite his numerous phone calls begging for more ... is this the new isaan generation ?
Nevertheless I have to say that the "highlight" of my stay was getting together with Tam again ... his friends in Pattaya had of course told him I was in town and he wanted to see my face again ... no objection from me, and so we met in front of my hotel on the 8 th ... I will never forget his broad smile when he turned round to me, the same cheerful face as when I met him four years ago in Threezone Bar. He staid in Pattaya for the five remaining days, which did not prevent me from offing one or two boys and having another nice massage in Royal House. I brought him to X-Ray with one of the boys I wanted to sleep with, and he was the most delightful companion he could be. We also spent more time together at the beach where everyone had asked about him.
I know now that I love him much more than I was thinking, but very differently from before : less time together, less sex than before, but a very strong friendship and the impression that you are close to someone who is very important in your life.
Tam is still at home with his mother ... he told me he has no boyfriend or girlfriend but "some girls like me very much" ... which I would translate as "I know a girl with which I will perhaps marry". He is now a farmer in his village, and I do not know if I should be sorry for not having been able to change his life ... If we had not met, perhaps he would be now an under-paid worker in some factory in Lamphun like most of his friends ... or perhaps he would have staid longer in Pattaya and met a much richer farang who would have fully supported him ...
Tam is now happy and free, he has a home and soon a wife and children, and he knows there is someone who still misses him. And I know I have got back my freedom without losing the boy I love.
November 25, 2007
Love of Siam
My must-do list included seeing the Phuan gay movie ... but it had already disappeared from the screens when I arrived in Thailand. Looking at the advertising in the BTS, I quickly noticed the promising trailer of a new movie, only to discover that it would be launched on November 22 th, so more than one week after my return to Boringland...
This new movie is called "Love of Siam" ("Rak haeng sayam") and seems to get great reviews by those who have seen it. Love of Siam refers to Siam Square, a popular teenage hangout in Bangkok. It’s there that Tong, a popular and handsome boy, meets his childhood friend Music again. Tong’s affections wander from his girlfriend, to his boyfriend Music.
See review at http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/wisekwai/2007/11/22/entry-3
The movie is presently to be seen all over Thailand, so do not write it on you must-do list, but go and see it ... an you will tell me about it OK ?
This new movie is called "Love of Siam" ("Rak haeng sayam") and seems to get great reviews by those who have seen it. Love of Siam refers to Siam Square, a popular teenage hangout in Bangkok. It’s there that Tong, a popular and handsome boy, meets his childhood friend Music again. Tong’s affections wander from his girlfriend, to his boyfriend Music.
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| Love of Siam |
The movie is presently to be seen all over Thailand, so do not write it on you must-do list, but go and see it ... an you will tell me about it OK ?
November 8, 2007
Khorat
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| Cutie posing in front of Suranari Monument |
I had not gone there since so long that Khorat was on my schedule this time. I went for only one night and I was not disappointed. Sure the bar I went was nothing to write home about but the atmosphere, the faces in the streets, and the three hours trip in itself was a real enjoyment.
The change of scene begins at Morchit : if the first floor (buses to the North, the East and Pattaya) is quite farang-friendly, the second floor (in fact the third one if you use the lift or the stairs) where you will find the departures to every nook and cranny in Isaan is an all-thai place with hardly one word not written in thai. And of course there is always the cute face of some young man entering your field of view. There is a bus to Khorat / Nakhon Ratchasima every 20 minutes or so, so you will not to wait for a long time. If the first part of the trip in the unending suburbs from Bangkok to Saraburi is quite boring, you will then enter the mountains with some nice views along a lake and in the ricefields.
I arrived in Khorat at about 2 pm, put up at the Sripattana Hotel (615 THB breakfeast included with swimming pool, which is probably one of the best deals in the whole Thailand) and then walked along the streets. I went to The Mall where everything is still really cheap and the boys come in droves after the end of the school ..... free eye candy for everyone.
The only bar I went to was the Buddy Boy which is an old host bar near the Ningnong crossroad - rather difficult to find, walking on Suranaree towards the railway station, shortly after an hospital on your right (Khorat Memorial Hospital) and facing the Osaka karaoke building, there is a small dark soi forking on the right - walk about 200 meters and you should see on your right a white sign mostly in thai at the entry of a 100 meter long alley between houses, walk along this alley and there you are. Buddy is a host bar and they had only two boys, one of them a soldier from Ubon ; not really my style but they were very nice to chat with : they told me two other guys use to come but they did not come to-day (it was on a Wednesday night), and also that they had quite often farang customers, mostly local expats. 100 THB/drink, off fee 300 THB.
I then used a tuk tuk and went walking along Ratchadamnoen Road and found street hustlers, some with nice faces but I really did not feel secure even after chatting with them (thai only). You should find them at about 11 o'clock near the outdoor games for children (more or less facing the Cathay Hotel).
There are other gay places in Khorat but I did not visit because I was unsure about them and especially their location (I had to look around the Buddy Boys during daytime to avoid wasting too much time finding it at night). A reader on Ting Tong webboard went to a new-opened karaoke next door to Sima Thani Hotel called "Handsome Boys", a poster on the Thai Male Massage Board had heard rumours about a newly-opened bar near the "Hua Rotfay" market, and the massage place called "Tantawan" seems to be still operating in the Phailin Square area (opposite Sima Thai Hotel).
Guess I have to go back ...
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