Wondering

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

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

Closed ... where should I go now ?

Another bad news was the closure of Threezone Bar, my favourite venue in Pattaya. It has been for more than twelve years my refuge in Sunee Plaza, the place I liked to hang out in when coming back from the beach or when being on a loose end between two bar visits.

I guess I will now have to find a new base but my requirements are rather high : good location, cute boys, fair prices, and preferably thai owner. Is there only one place like this in Sunee, I wonder …

... and counting !

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

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

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

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

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

En route for 2012

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

Mister Goody Goody

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hua Hin

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

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

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

Chico Bar, gay bar in Hua Hin

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

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

Walking along soi 81, I could find two new boy bars but with very few guys, so I hopped on a motorbike to go to Chico Bar ; it was by far the best one in the evening despite Em not being there … Among the many nice lads working there, there was this 18 y/o guy from Ratchaburi : he would be the first guy I ever offed in Hua Hin, and also the first boy I offed during this trip.

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

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

Temperance in Chiang Mai

San Kamphaeng Hot Springs, Chiang Mai

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

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

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

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

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

Raw nature

The first part of my stay is now over ; not a lot about the boys here - although they are never far when you are in Thailand - but a long and impressive trip in one of the remotest parts of the country.

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

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

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

Refugee camp near burmese border, Tak province

Our second day took place along the thai-burmese border on very quiet roads with very few people around, except for many police controls. I was especially impressed by a huge refugee camp after Mae Ramat, hundreds of wooden houses all over the hills seeming to shelter so many unfortunate people fleeing their country. Probably a heavy burden for the thai Government. Besides this, there were viewpoints, waterfalls, caves, and a 50 km stretch of a rather small road on the borders of Tak and Mae Hong Son provinces, without any village, gas station, or eating place. You guess that finally arriving in Mae Sariang was a relief. A local karaoke gave a nice end to the day.

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

Mae Hong Son town from above

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

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

Noo (rising tone)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Halcyon days or ...

Rayong boy in Gayromeo

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

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

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

Holidays have begun and the magic is here once again.

Waterfalls

Waterfall boy

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

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

National parks

Some will think I am busier at visiting new towns than natural tourist attractions. They may be right, but should not forget that it is easy to go to every town in Thailand, but you have to be on your own wheels as soon as you want to go in the countryside.

Moreover, I cannot come to Thailand during the best months, and being in the middle of nowhere in the mud and surrounded by all kinds of mosquitoes and leeches is not my idea of hard-earned holidays.

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

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

Outdoors

Those coming from hot areas cannot realise how great it feels to have a drink or to eat outside ... a pleasure that I very rarely indulge in at home, as temperatures are on the fresh side most of the year.

This is the most likely reason why I like to sit in a beer bar or an open-air restaurant everytime I can. Despite all the little bugs you could meet in these places...