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.