Greetings

Eternity

I am back in Farangland since six weeks but it seems like an eternity. It is very cold here and we had a lot of snow, which should be good for business but not for heat lovers.

Of course everyone including my boss was delighted that I could escape Thailand one week before the airport closure … I would not frankly agree on this, because being stranded in Thailand is exactly what I was secretly hoping. This being said, I had to suffer a three hours delay at the departure from Bangkok and did not really like it so I guess things are not so simple (and I would have been in a f… sh… had I arrived two weeks late at work …).

The airport closure was a torment for my mind, because of the bad image it gave to the country that I love (and which made one of my fellow worker cancel a four-people trip planned for Januray). And also because I was thinking of all the boys in Pattaya – and all Thailand workers - who were deprived of good business due to these well-to-do thugs blocking the airport only to maintain their egoistic privilege. I got another stab in the heart when I read the news that H M the King would cancel His adress to the nation, as I was really looking forward to hear His kind ans wise words. 

Since then, I regularly get in touch with Tam, and much more often than before. To-day is his birthday – he is now 28 y/o but he still has the spontaneousness and the enthusiasm of a young guy. I guess our story is still far from the end and I am very happy with it. And I thought I was interested only in twinkies … 

I have also kept in touch with the Threezone freelancer as well as with the beach seller. This one had to go back home for a while because of a lack of business. He has comme back to Pattaya now and I hope that he can sell his stuff without being too spoilt by his customers – call it jealousy ? I get a thrill everytime I hear his fresh voice and I really hope to see him again, even if I have to go to his place – it would be good as he lives in one of the provinces that I have still to visit.

What helps me a lot too is reading the reports of a cycling tour that a member of the Gay Thailand webboard is currently riding. Travelling with a bike is my other lifelong passion along with travelling in Thailand so you can imagine how this ride from Chiang Mai to Phuket is a fascinating story for me – even if I would rather travel alone to have a better contact with the locals. But of course this is now only a dream at least for the five years left before I can hopingly retire …

Leaving

Sunday 16th was my last day in Pattaya before … not too long, this is at least what I hope. The beach seller had absolutely wanted to see me in the hotel for my leaving and I had to promise to see him again … I think I will because this boy really turned me on despite (or because of) his shyness. I almost felt some tears in my eyes when the boy walked away.

Temporary monument for Royal Cremation

Back to Bangkok, Tam and me went to Sanam Luang to see the Monument erected for the Royal Cremation, but we both had forgotten to wear black clothes and besides this it was raining again. At night, I could not help going a last time to the Silom area where most bars were open despite the mourning. We went to the bar where I had offed Art ; I did not invite him but slipped him a small tip when leaving, which sparked off some whispering among the other boys.

The last day was the usual race to enjoy the slightest minute left, with a lump in the throat especially this time as it could be – who knows ? - my last time in Thailand … We visited Sanam Luang again, duly dressed in black and admiring the place among hundreds of thais. Back in the hotel, we made the usual last day chores, and then had a last drink in Dick's Cafe. I prefer not to remember the trip to the airport, and the time came for us to part.

After a last Singha beer, Tam went back alone to the hotel ; it made me feel as if I had one night more with him. And I passed the immigration, only to discover that the flight would be late and that I would miss the connection to Geneva. The hassle was beginning again ….

Rays of sunshine

Tam arrived on the 10th although we had first agreed to meet for Loy Krathong on the 12th … but the busses from Phrae were full because of the Royal Cremation, so he had to come earlier. As soon as I saw him, I was sure that I loved him more than any one, more than the beach seller or than the Threezone freelancer. He was tanned from the works in the fields, he was smiling like always and he had the same radiant attitude which made me fall in love five years ago.

Being rather more educated than your average thai friend, Tam is open to everything and he really loves eating foreign food … he enjoyed the meal I had planned for our reunion in a good French restaurant (Freelax, Third Road behind Buffalo Bar). Be sure the red wine had the place of honour including for this thai country boy. We then went to Threezone where he is as popular as ever, and he did not mind going to Butterfly karaoke with other boys including the freelancer I had "offed" more than once already … what a change from his former obsessive jealousy.

We staid together on the second day too and went visiting some gay bars in Boyztown ; we enjoyed the Wild West Boys show as well as the boys : for now this place is by far the nicest among the bars I visited in the area, be it for the atmosphere, the service and did I mention the boys ?

The third day was Loi Krathong day … a day that I have always enjoyed to the deepest when in Bangkok but that has yet to impress me when celebrated in Pattaya. The atmosphere in Jomtien was the same as in a commercial fair, there was little to be felt of the incredible beauty of this tradition that you meet in less touristy places. A lot of pictures were taken but I swore Tam his picture would not appear on this blog …

There was then another visit to the beach chairs, with a nice weather for the fourth day in a row … my boyfriend had brought the sunshine with him and he made no bones about reminding me of this. The beach seller gave a massage to both of us and we then had a nice meal in my favorite open air eatery (Nong Jai, along Pattaya 2nd near Mike Shopping Mall, some nice male staff too). I could not help thinking while eating that I was there sitting at the same table with the two boys I liked the most in the world. Like a caring older brother, Tam brought then the beach seller back home on the motorbike we had rent, as the boy was living very far away in the Naklua area. I had not asked anything to him and it was impressing to see Tam taking care of this young guy which he could as well have considered as a possible rival. This day was the last one before the three mourning days, so I wanted to visit some more bars in Sunee while Tam went seeing some movie in Big C. In fact I went to Le Gun Bar where the cutest boy by far was one of the waiters just arrived from Khorat.

What can I do for you ? (gorgeous waiter in Bang Sare seafood restaurant)

The last two days in Pattaya took place in a very special atmosphere because of most gay bars being closed and most boys being off-duty ; we went in the countryside out of Pattaya, and I particularly liked the Buddha Image in the Mountain, where two busloads of school students from Nakhon Pathom were also visiting. We had another meal in Bang Sare (Rim Nam Restaurant, first one when coming from the Bang Sare beach (so with Jomtien in your back). Quiet atmosphere, great seafood and view over the sea and Jomtien : despite a very strong wind, it was another enjoyable time with my lover. The cute male staff (see above) was an unexpected bonus....

Beach seller

After two weeks with a lot of daily packing and unpacking, I was happy to arrive in Pattaya for an eleven-day stay in my favourite hotel. With a nice roof pool, an attentive and never intrusive staff, and far from the gay ghettos, this is a place that I like to call "home away from home". Despite a never ending bad weather, the first half of my stay has been as pleasant as it could be, with the typical schedule being lazy afternoons at Jomtien, and roaming the Sunee Plaza bars in the evening.

Beach boys on Jomtien gay beach

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If I did not mingle much with the Jomtien beach assistants this time, I had a special relation with one of the sellers – whom I cannot give too many details about, as he is still working there. Talking a lot with him, I could discover how hard the life of these guys can be – at least for those who do not want to accept the proposals that they invariably get from many farangs.

This one was a good-looking 18 y/o from Isan, not gay at all and very shy – except for selling his stuff where he showed genuine talent despite his limited English. He had left school at age 11 mostly because his mother abandoned the family and he had to take care of an ill father. He worked at home, then staid some years in Bangkok as a construction worker, and finally came to Pattaya as an occasionnal seller.

He told me his "boss" gave him 30 % of what he could sell, but not a lot of farangs were buyers, so the income was not high. What struck me was his incredible willpower to face all the problems he had, and his invariably good-humoured nature despite a not so bright future. Refusing any extra money above the agreed price and uneasy like a child when I offered him a mobile phone to replace the broken one he had, it was obvious that he was not a liar but a good boy.

Shy (and cute) beach seller

He moonlighted as a masseur too and took care of me with much more strength than many others on the beach. On the following day, unable to stand it any longer, I asked him if he could give me another massage, but this time I would need a special one. After some hesitation, he told me that he had gone only once to a farang's place (he feared being raped ...) and only for an ordinary massage.

However he finally accepted to go and I have to say that I was very happy to give him the tip he had asked for – I will never forget the time when he took his briefs off and his virility at first very discreet quickly developped into a long and slim pole that I had the pleasure to bring to climax. This is when he told me he had never jacked off before, and only had wet dreams – will I ever know wether this was true or not ?


Other discoveries of this first week were the Jomtien night venues that are easy to forget when you live in Pattaya. A special mention goes to Rockhard Boys where the guys are really cute and the atmosphere very hot.

Another usual haunt was an old favourite of mine, the Threezone Beer Bar in Sunee Plaza, the place where I met Tam five years ago. After a long "lady-boy only" period, they now welcome freelancers again and they have some real cuties coming on a more or less regular basis. Besides this, the thai owner is a very nice guy, and he has completely redone the place ; what has not changed is the unobstructed view over the entry to Villa Rouge and the soi life, which leads to carefree and relaxing unforgettable times.

A promising excursion to Kor Larn which turned quickly to a nightmare because of pouring rain (but these wet half-naked russian boys are so hot!), and more than one disappointment from visiting some Boyztown bars : these were the other events of this first week. To-night Tam will join me for the rest of my stay and this prospect makes me surprisingly happy despite what it means as regards my cherished freedom ..... I guess that I love him more than I thought …

Halftime in Bangkok

Coming back from Isaan, I decided not to go to Pattaya immediately, but rather stay three more days in Bangkok.

Shy owner fled the scene, sorry

I can swear the coffee boy from Saphan Khwai was not the reason for this difficult decision, as I quickly understood that he was not available ; a very shy guy too as he chose to flee the scene when I asked him if I could take a picture of his shop. So you will have to go to Pradiphat Road if you want to see him (Sunday closed). Avoid Mondays because it seems it is his girlfriend's free day.

I finally went back to the Flower Shower Gogo Bar (or is it the Taurus Bar ?) in Silom Soi 6 (between Golden Cock and Nature Boy) as I could not help thinking of Art, the dark-skinned boy I had chatted with on my first day. He was still there, and this time I "offed" him to my room and he accepted – after much pressure from me - to stay for the night. Was it because of his dark skin ? Or his wild looks ? This guy turned me on big scale, and each time I touched his skin, I felt horny like with very few boys before ; a matter of chemistry I guess as he his not outstandingly cute. He also proposed me to go to the internet cafe and find boys on-line and invite them for a sex party in my room … which I declined for obvious security reasons. Unfortunately this boy was also a heavy (ciggies) smoker and had the typical barboy biorythm : looking at TV for the whole night and going to sleep at dawn, so I was almost relieved to see him go back home at 6 in the morning.

Not wishing to spend another day in Bangkok, I then chose to take one day off in Hua Hin. Using one of the numerous rot too leaving from Victory Monument saves the long trip to the Southern Bus Station, so I arrived in the sea resort at 1 in the afternoon, leaving plenty of time for shopping and for a short walk to the beach. My hotel was the PP Villa Resort which doesn't advertise on the net but proposes a perfect location (300 m to the beach and should be the centre of gravity of all the local gay places), big and quiet rooms and a sunny pool for a very decent price (1200 THB high season).

The main reason for my short trip to Hua Hin was seeing again the Nong Khai boys in Faq Thong Massage Place. And the good news was that the three of last July were still there, with a fourth one having joined meanwhile. I chose two of them, the one I had chosen in July and another one, very short and very tanned and who will prove a tireless mouth-kisser. As always when you take two boys from the same place, the performance was tempered by a lot of shyness, but they were so hot that I did not regret my choice.

I paid a short visit to the other places in Hua Hin : Red indian had more boys than last time including some isaan delights, Guys Bar was less exciting than in July, and I finally could locate the Candlelight Bar that I had vainly looked for last July (and it was worth it despite the very few boys in this bar)

Although the beach, with its dead fishes, sandflies and horse dung, didn't appeal to me, I could really have staid longer in Hua Hin without feeling in the least bored. I guess I should consider staying longer there in the future : Hua Hin is definitely not a BYOB (Bring Your Own Boy) place any more. However I went back to Bangkok, without stopping in the famous gay resorts in Potharam ; I would have taken some pride to have been the first one to write a review on the boards, but time is really too short when you are on holiday.

My last visit in Bangkok was another taxi trip to Sanam Luang (Saranrom area). Despite the Royal Cremation events, it was business as usual along the streets including near the entry to Tha Tian pier ; however I went back home alone. I wanted to be on top form for my stay in Pattaya.

Isan escapade (2)

On the third day, I went to Roi Et which is known for its lake in the middle of the town and also for a big Buddha statue. It is a very short trip from Sakhon Nakhon with at first a beautiful mountain scenery, a bus change in Kalasin and then the typical isaan landscape until Roi Et. The bus from Kalasin to Roi Et was full with gorgeous students, one of them seating next to me.. I will always regret to have answered “one” to the bus attendant who was collecting the travel fare and had asked me “kii thii” (how many tickets) ?”. I should have been swift enough to tell “only one, but I would like so much pay for two …”.

Quiet afternoon in Roi Et . . .

Roi Et town was not quite up to what I expected : I thought the lake would be busy at night but it was not at all despite the place being very romantic and convenient for cruising. There are only two bars near the lake, all of them farang places for the few local expats living there… That will teach me not to believe one word of what local motorsai drivers say : one of them had insured me that boys came at night near the 99 Hotel, but I did not see anyone of them. So it was another lonely night in the Petchara Garden Hotel, a former upmarket place who has lowered its prices down to 550 THB (breakfeast included) probably due to a not very convenient location two kilometers far from downtown. But god how boring these upmarket hotels are ...

The last stay was in Khorat where I had a great disappointment seeing that the alley leading to the Buddy Boys Bar had remained locked up – with no explanation about a possible closure. Sure this place never had a lot of boys but it is (was ?) a very old gay place in Khorat and I hope I just went there on a wrong day (east end of Soi Lampru, 120 meters coming from the Thanon Suranari intersection, find a wooden sign on your right with only thai writing except for the word “IN" in English).

With the help of a motorsai driver, I could locate the Tawan Bar ... closed as well. It is a place in the middle of nowhere with no sign on the house, but this was probably the right location (south west of Sima Thani Hotel but south of the railway) as it fitted with the description I had read on the TMM website. The motorsai driver told me it was a very good bar and was still opened yesterday, but who would believe a motorsai driver ?

In Pailin Square, there is also an all-male disco called Khorat 69, I did not go inside because I was alone, but this one was well alive and had very promising boys standing in front. Another small bar reported to be located in the commercial center along the Sima Thani Hotel could not be found as well, despite an eager search... So much for the Khorat scene on that day (and it was on a Saturday night).

There are still some hookers along the moat near the Ya Mo Monument (in the Cathai Hotel area), but one who solicited me had no ID Card and seemed a little bit dangerous so I did not take him - although being so horny after four nights of chastity …

All in all an interesting trip to Isaan but not for the boys - although I could have done much better with a little bit more luck, daring and experience.

Isaan escapade (1)

It would be a boring holiday should I have to spend all my time in Pattaya or in Bangkok … this time, my side-trip was a short escapade to some isaan towns, with an aim to see the wats of course, but also to feel the atmosphere. And also to make some progress in my lifelong duty to spend at least one night in everyone of the 76 thai provinces.

The first stop was Udon Thani which has more and more farangs living there and roaming the streets mostly with their thai girlfriend. I had chosen the Thai Airways flight to go there at a time when Nok Air was not too well, and although paying more, I did not regret my choice : Nok had cancelled their midday flight on that day.

As always I chose to stay at the Charoen Hotel close to the main bus station and also within walking distance to the quickly growing entertainment area. Unfortunately there is no boy bar in the two new complexes in front of the Railway Station ; only girlie beer bars and it is hard to see how they could all survive for long.

I went searching the Antz Bar in the Ton Yang Yai area where it should have been but could not find it ; so I guess the only place for people like us still remains the Boy Boy Bar in a small soi not far from the Bus Station (west side of the soi where the Silver Reef Guesthouse is located).

I went there at 20.30 and was really surprised by the quality of the boys in this bar, especially one who was absolutely stunning : short hair, 18 y/o, beautiful face and deep eyes. I invited him, we chatted about his life (very few English spoken here …), I did not tell him he would have been a star in Pattaya as he was still a student in Udon (at least this is what he told me). Finally we agreed on going to a local disco with another of the boys (more dark-skinned, something “gothic” in his attitude but still more beautiful eyes) .. and here we went, three on the same bike along the busy Udon streets … my guy was much too young to be allowed to enter the discos, so we finished drinking our whisky in a less careful place, not too far from my hotel.

Alas what could have been a wonderful night with a magnificent guy failed and I still don’t know why … I had noticed he was smiling to someone else in the second bar but could not see whom (girl ? boy ?). Eventually he brought the second boy to his home after having carefully wrotten down my room number, but he never came back. I had not yet given any tip to him nor to the other boy, so I am still wondering why I spent the night alone … Unfortunately I had not the phone number of the bar so could not get any further news from him. Lesson number one : when you really fancy a guy, go immediately to the essential because precious jewels are the most easy to lose…

I could have staid one day more in Udon as I had no real schedule ; however I chose to go further and my next stage was in Sakhon Nakhon, a completely farang-free place. My hotel was the Dusit Hotel, clean and convenient for 350 THB with the most smiling and careful staff in Thailand - those who would feel ashamed if they paid less than 3000 THB a hotel night in Thailand do not know what they miss.

No boys bar here, but this is the town where someone I had known in Geneva is living, and we had agreed to meet on the day I would go there. I spent a great evening out with him and his delicious wife : great restaurant, and then two late night pubs where I was openly solicited by a (female) friend of his wife who had joined us. Axa Pub is a new pub and they have a band of male students who appears for singing every night. Believe me, the singer is an absolute stunner and gazing at him was enough to make made my evening very enjoyable.

Wat Phra That Choeng Chum in Sakhon Nakhon after the rain

Recovering

Beach delight

Pattaya is also the place where I come for the sun, and this 5-days stay was not really up to what I had expected. I had never seen any serious flood since 10 years I come here, and this year I saw 2nd road under the water three times … a sign that the end of the world is near or only bad luck ?

However the rain could not thwart my nightly activities and I could visit most of the Sunee bars, including Happy Boys which was quite interesting. I had read about it on the boards but you never know before experiencing by yourself … So I fell for this 19 y/o Nong Khai guy and he did not wait long to invite me to go upstairs where there was no one. Another boy joined us uninvited, which I found somewhat upsetting, but this guy was probably the appointed specialist when it comes to giving a blowjob. So went the trousers down, me sucking the boy I had chosen and the “expert” doing me very skillfully. Useless to say the climax came soon enough, despite (or because) some other boys regularly passing in front of us going up to their own rooms.

Other bars were more standard but the standard in Pattaya is what you dream about all the year long. There seems to be a constant flow of “new boys” in Villa Rouge, which keeps the interest going. I invited one of these – or so he was described to me – for a drink .. completely illegal, cute as an isaan god, bud hardly any interaction – he did not even asked my name and I had to make all the conversation.

Look Boys and Sundance were also on my list but there were really too many too young lady boys in most. The really cute ones (the real boys if you prefer) seem to be in the minority, or work as waiters or doormen… a pity, as it seems obvious that they are in higher demand than the ubiquitous skinny underage ladyboys. I had the luck to find one – the muu katha guy – and I still dream over his carefulness, his charm, and also I must say about what seems to be an everlasting hard-on. Sorry I have not fallen in love – yet.

Please do not tell anyone that I went to Minou, although the place has slightly improved from the pit it was last June ; it is also briefs down over there (at least the boys’ones).

It is nice to recover from all this craziness, and this is why I am now in Bangkok for three days. Wasted time perhaps but the town has its charms and it also allows some shopping with a much wider choice than in Pattaya.

However boy shopping was not what it used to be in the Saranrom area : I went there last Monday but the display was really disappointing : very few guys, some of them too young to be honest, and not the good feeling I had last time. One of the boys I spoke with, explained that one of the reasons why not a lot turned up was the activities of the motorists gangs (dek waen) who sometimes come at night in the area.

Timeless city

As soon as I set my feet in Pattaya, everything has changed. The time has now come when you look at your watch when you begin your evening (and it is generally 8 o'clock), and the next time you look at it, it shows 3 in the morning and you wonder what you are doing sitting in a karaoke place surrounded with cute boys, half of them you do not know even their name.

So the updating will be much looser from now on, due to an obvious lack of time. Those wanting to come here should know that not much has changed, except for the quick decline of euro and the steady increase of dollar.

My first day in Pattaya was on Thursday, it began with a too long trip with the bus dropping off passengers every 500 meters or so - but this is the price to pay when you want to go local, and at least you may meet nice people during the journey. I visited several bars in Sunee with only Euro Boys having about the same boys as in June, which tells a lot about the quality of management there. I also went to Good Boys and Nice Boys which are the typical Sunee bars no one wants to speak about.

New friend from Threezone Bar

And I finally took a guy who freelanced in the Threezone Bar - young looking but with an ID card which could not possibly have been forged. We ended the night in a small thai "mou katha" shop where he had worked before - thai boys often bring you to the place where they are known, a matter of face-saving I guess but most often this ends with a good experience.

The choice had to be good because the second day was a rainy one, like I had never seen in Pattaya (but I am only a tourist). And we both staid in the room recovering from a long night out ; be sure the TV was not much used on this day. The evening was devoted to Butterfly karaoke with 5 young lads eager to sing and to have sanuk together. Among them the lao I had met last year ; he is really more sexy than ever and he has the same easygoing nature.


Sunshine has come again to-day, which allowed a first visit to the beach. Many people there, as everyone has really missed the place since it has been raining for quite a long time from what I understand. I did not stay too long because some people heavy smokers sitting close - and I am not an anti-smokers fundamentalist.

Life will continue like this for three days, the greatest worry being what shirt you will wear at night, and then I should go back to Bangkok and then Isaan. Probably a huge change of pace from the Pattaya atmosphere.

Bell boy

My second day in Thailand began rather late in the day as I wanted a good night sleep to recover from the trip. I also needed more coffee than usual, which provided the best excuse to visit the small stall with the nice boy ... however he seems more interested in his very cute girlfriend than in my repeated glances ...

I spent the evening in Sanam Luang where there was a royal ceremony with a huge attendance from thais of all ages and all conditions. HM the King attended and it was a great relief to see him in rather good shape. You will understand it was not the best moment to go to the area around Saranrom park for the boys, as the place was brimmed with policemen.

At night I visited some Saphan Kwai bars and found that the boys there are as cute as ever. In every bar I visited I could have taken one or two, especially - and this is not surprise - in Charmming ; they have really good-looking guys overthere, and more than this the mamasan often boasts their "big thing' as they say in thai. I already checked in the past that this was no lie.

Another enthusiastic mamasan works in U-Turn, you just have to tell him what kind of boy you like and he will scour the neighbouring bars to find one matching your specifications.

I visited Eagle Pub, U-Turn, Charmming and Waterloo (which is currently on repair but has opened opposite in what is usually a girlie bar called Swan) and Adam was full due to a party. That leaves only three bars to visit and I should go next time I am in Bangkok ; for the first time in ages, their doormen invited me inside - sign of harder times ?

I am now in Pattaya where a strong rain in the afternoon has flooded some streets. The bell boy who helped with my luggage will be my impossible mission for this trip ; he told me "see you later" when leaving my room and these three words made me completely randy.

First night in Bangkok

Welcome in Thailand

It was an uneventful trip that I even managed not to find too long. The KLM plane landed 30 minutes ahead of scheduled time, but the extra time was quickly lost due to my choosing the wrong queue at the immigration (you should never forget to check whether the counter is single or double manned BEFORE entering the queue) …

The taxi driver made his job to bring me safe to my hotel in Saphan Khwai using the quickest route which is longer but uses much less time, so the 337 THB - toll fares and airport tax included - became 400 THB in his pocket.

Arriving at one in the afternoon leaves plenty of time to buy all forgotten items and get slowly accustomed to the local way of life ; watching over the holes in the pavement when gazing at the cute boys you encounter is one of the most challenging novelties here (in my country there are no holes in the pavement and hardly any cute boy walking).

You also will have to check the new interesting features in the neighborhood and this generally leads to good and bad surprises ; for example the boy who worked in the khao muu daeng food stall has disappeared, so I guess he was not the owner’s son but only an assistant. On the contrary there is a very good looking guy now working in front of my internet café, who provides free eye-candy when the connection is too slow. He sells coffee and it happens that I am a real coffee lover ...

At 6.30 pm I decided it was time to go for a skytrain trip to Silom where I only wanted to look at the atmosphere. After a nice meal in Dick’s, I walked along the bars and the massage places but no one took my fancy ; the new restaurant facing the Bangkok Boys Massage Place will be my next choice because it seems to be an excellent viewpoint over what is on offer opposite.

A tout wanted me to have a massage in K-Why ; I could get rid of him walking further to Soi 6. I walked in front of Tawan Bar where I never set a foot since I come to Thailand and hurried up to Solid. However I chose a new gogo bar first ; it is located on the first floor (or is it the second one for some), and is called Flower Shower or something like that. What I saw on the scene was quite pleasant with some very good looking lads. I invited Art to sit with me : a dark-skinned playful 20 y/o Bangkok boy. We flirted a little but I decided not to take him because he could not spend the night – mi thoora, so he told me, which of course I did not believe.

I went then to the infamous Nature Boy bar where they have six or seven lads ; one of them was taking care of another farang while three isaan citizens sat at my table. No tasty detail here as it was only hands on the pant, some hard dick showing and not much more. The shiest guy was the cutest. 

Getting out of the bar, I was once again called by one of the doormen in the message place almost opposite, which is called Taurus. I had noticed a young guy that seemed perfect for a first night, so I chose him for an one hour and a half oil massage. This barely legal Roi Et cutie gave me a massage that was too soft and without too much imagination, and after only twenty minutes he asked me to turn over and proposed to take care of my virility. I should have told him to massage my legs first but the boy was too hot and I was too horny … so I guess I will have to wait some more for a real massage.

It was 10.30 already and I felt too tired to continue my exploration in the Silom area ; moreover I had to update my information about Saphan Kwai venues for a thread on Sawatdee forum. I arrived back in Saphan Kwai at 11 pm and headed for my all-time favorite Street Boy Bar ; being the first bar in this non sheltered soi, it was a good idea as it was now pouring with rain. There were five boys on duty on this Sunday evening, including one with long hair, nice face, and who was a real boy according to the owner.

My last visit was for “Be High” gogo bar where there is a fair selection of masculine boys again, proving that my previous reviews had to be updated for the best. I chatted quietly with a guy from Khemmarat (Ubon Ratchathani province) which is one of the most remote places in Thailand and he understood that I was not in the mood to take him to my room.

At 0.25 it was time to call it a day and I went back to my hotel – alone, but I had seen more cute faces in 10 hours here than in eleven months at home.

On the road again

KLM, I love you

I did not think it could arrive ... still twenty minutes and I will hop on a car which will bring me to the airport ... and to-morrow at noon I should step once again on the thai soil. Pii thii sip song, khrang thii yiisip (twelvth year and twentieth time).

World crisis ? Which world crisis ?

Titanic

My last post sounded very pessimistic but how can you see brightness in the short-term future – at least when you are a worker - when every news you read in the papers or listen in the radio talks about unemployment, failures and recession ?

This never-ending economic crisis was probably the price to be paid for all the greediness in this world, with our governments as accomplice. I guess we will still have to wait a little bit longer before seing all the benefits that globalisation and unregulated business were due to bring to everyone – at least that was what self-proclaimed experts were promising and you were immediately labelled as a has-been or a communist if you did not agree with these crooks.

A cure for pessimism

This economic system looks in fact more and more like an easy smokescreen whose only aim in our countries was to make the rich always richer. I fear this world is too rotten to draw the lessons it should draw from this mess and to make a little more room for human beings in the future …

Four weeks in Thailand will be the more efficient way to escape all the bad vibes that are now invading the world ; I trust the thai boys to be able to make all my worries disappear.

I promise to act in Thailand like the guys on the Titanic … partying as if there were no to-morrow. A la thai, sort of.

From bliss to darkness

Five weeks and I will land in Suwanaphum for another happy and carefree holiday … I should of course jump for joy but why is it that I am not as blissful as I should be ?

However hard I try to deny reality, I just cant'help thinking that every trip could be as well be the last one. Some personal concerns especially regarding work, and many more general problems ranging from rising flight costs, weakening euro and thai prices going up, lessening numbers of boys due to the economic crisis … the outlook for the sex tourist's future in Thailand is rather bleak now. The current political turmoil is of course not taken into account by this seasoned traveller, but the security concerns in Bangkok and Pattaya could be.

These grim thoughts are another reason why I will try to make the best out of from my one-month trip … like I have always done. I have planned only a short sidetrip to Isan with one or two nights in Udon and then one-night stays in three or four towns like Roi Et and Khorat … hoping for nice encounters or fulfilling my lifetime mission to visit everyone of the 76 thai provinces, I don't know…. But some words I got from boys saying there are now gay bars in Sakhon Nakhon and Buriram did not fall on deaf ears for sure !

For the remaining time, I should stick to Bangkok and Pattaya ; you also will have to tie me firmly if you do not want me to go to Hua Hin for one night, trying to meet one (or all) of the three isan cuties who were in Faq Thong massage place last June … Tam will probably join me for my last days in Pattaya : I hope that this will help him to overcome the hard times that the chao naa like him have to face now because of the unusual amount of rain this year …

This will be my twentieth trip to Thailand in thirteen years. And this is also my hundredth entry in this blog .. thank you to all for taking the time to read it and I really hope there will be another hundred and more in the future.

Thai Blog

I have just come across a blog that I did not know. It is called Dekwang Saranrom which could be translated as "Hustler boy from the Saranrom area" ; I have still to establish whether it is written by one of the boys who come there or by someone else.

The blog is in thai language but has some english text too and nice male pics, some of them X-rated. For what I have read and understood for the time being, the blog has stories of the Saranrom hustlers, newpapers reports about male prostitution, AIDS warnings and more. For those who can read thai, it is rather well written - meaning : intelligible but with a good dictionary within reach.

The link has been added (on the right part of this page) as well as a link to PattayaPassion - a new and welcomed addition to the already numerous boards about gay Thailand.

UPDATE - This blog does not exist any more, sorry

Stiff neck

Looking both backwards and forward may be dangerous and cause a stiff neck, they say. This is exactly where I am standing now, although my neck is quite OK, thank you.

Looking back, I still remember my last days in Bangkok – only five weeks since I came back, but it looks like ages ago … My last evening was spent with Tam who always seems very interested going to the gogo bars in Soi Twilight to look at the shows. Perhaps he is REALLY gay after all… And if it was not with him, I would probably never enter any bar in this touristy and expensive area … So here we went into Fresh Beach Boys, as Boys Bangkok was really too much packed with customers. Show so-so, some nice guys (I had forgotten there could be nice boys in Soi Twilight too).

We then went together to the Saranrom area where there were less boys than before : police seems to make some random checks making it harder for the boys. However as soon as the way is clear, they suddenly spring up from nowhere just to be picked out by the customers … so the whole matter is being there at the right time. Walking along the street, I could spot some guys which I could have taken without hesitation. Just in case, I also saved the phone number of Fiew, one of the most attractive ones.

What stroke me most was that on the following day, Tam went back alone to Boys Bangkok after returning from the airport where he had sent me … like letting steam off a last time before going back home. A feeling that I know all too well.

Bangkok life

Bangkok life is definitely not bad when you are a tourist … Feeling alone in you room ? Just go outside, the streets are bustling with people, and every 30 seconds or so you will run into the nice face of a cute guy … who could well be your next friend if you are daring and lucky.

My hotel is located at the end of a small soi in Saphan Khwai, and I can enjoy the soi life as soon as I set a foot out of my room. At first I walk in front of the boy bars whose owners are cleaning their shop : those who know me as a regular never forget to greet and have a short chat. Further down the soi, there is the half hidden shop where I drop off my linen for washing .. when the laundrywoman prepares my pile of washing, she simply labels it with the word "farang" … I am probably her only non-thai customer.

And then there are the food stalls … they stay in the soi during daytime but as soon as 5 pm, they spread onto the both sides of the main street. Especially on Friday and Saturday nights, Pradiphat Street is a huge open-air restaurant with hundreds of thais enjoying their meal with friends or family. I love this atmosphere, I also love the convenience of a quick and cheap khao man kai when I feel a bit hungry, whatever the time of the night (and No, I never got sick from eating in the street ... )

Eye candy is of course always there in the soi or in the street … The waiters in the Rakhang Thong Restaurant are my current favourites, and I guess I will have to look closer at the workmen hired in the nearby construction site : I already know they leave at 6 pm and some of them are absolute stunners – to the point I did not dare to take a picture of them.

As for the boy working for the khao moo daeng stall at the soi entrance (owner's son probably), I still have to wait two or three more years, but he will surely be worth it. For now, his job is doing the washing up well hidden behind the cart, and helping serving the customers. Spending all his evenings near so many boy bars, it is impossible that when turning 18, he does't consider making use of his good looks ; after thinking over, he could well try his luck and if he agrees, I am OK to be his first customer

Posing

I would not like my holidays in Pattaya being restricted to bar-hopping and boy-offing. This is why I generally get up very soon (at least by Pattaya standards), just to have more time to do nothing .. lazily lying under the sun or just having time to take care of myself – a favor that us working class battlers cannot afford very often.

Nong Nooch garden and boy

Besides this I made the usual trip to Nang Ram Beach near Sattahip, only to find that many russians had already found their way to this little paradise. I guess I'll have to find something else soon.

I had never toured the Nong Nooch Garden and came here a little by chance, guided by one of the boys I had met. Not being mad about flowers and gardens, I was fearing a boring visit, but the place turned out being very entertaining. Go there with a thai boy and a camera and you will be surprised how gifted these guys are when posing for a photo … they really pose like stars but in a totally innate way. As the setting is quite appropriate for this, you should end with a lot of successful pictures.

Dek haat

In Jomtien, the gay beach is now very quiet. So I had more time to chat with the sellers and less noise to suffer from some rude neighbours. On the downside, there was still more pression from the massage boys and the nail girls .. there seemed to be a little too much of them this time.

My all-time favourites are like always the dek haat (the beach attendants) ; at least in my usual concession, these hard-working guys are invariably helpful, smiling and cute. It's part of the game to invite one of them for a meal or more … but these boys do not have a lot of free time and they are mostly straight ; so they will not readily agree. 

Yellow chairs in Jomtien ... a nice bunch of isaan boys

I asked a new boy (fresh from Udon Thani) what he thought about it and he just answered "Khit doo kawn ..." (I'll consider it). He has now another three months left for further pondering – unless another farang is persuasive enough to help him overcoming his apprehension (or unless he goes back home for the rice crop …).

Groundless fears

I generally go to Pattaya AFTER trips to other parts of Thailand. I know too well that the emollient way of life here could make me less prone to do the sidetrips that provide the best memories of a stay in Thailand, so the one-week or more time I stay in Pattaya is always scheduled at the end of my holiday.

After reading about all the police checks and the growing lack of safety, I had for the first time some fears about my stay. I have to say that these fears were completely groundless : during the eight days I spent in Sin City, it was business as usual : same easy-going atmosphere, same (wrong) feeling that you have reached a place where everything is possible, same number of cute boys everywhere and everytime.

My favourite haunts were as usual a long stay in Jomtien in the afternoon and hanging around Sunee Plaza at night. I had warned Tam that I was coming so he joined me for the last four days and I can only say that I loved the time we were together. We are now more friends than lovers, and he perfectly admits that I am a hopeless butterfly who sometimes needs a welcoming shoulder – as long as this shoulder is his …

Chanthaburi boy : all my "specs"

During my "free" period, I visited almost every bar in Sunee and some in Boyztown. Most were open except for Villa Rouge ; I especially loved the new Euroboys which has been completely redesigned by the new owner. There is no elevated stage any more but the boys "dance" on the floor like in Minou Bar, and the all-white atmosphere is a pleasant change from the ubiquitous black colour prevailing in Boyztown bars. Soon after entering the place, I saw a tall, dark-skinned and shy-looking guy I could not take my eyes off : exactly my "sapek" (specs) as thai say. This 18 y/o cutie from Chanthaburi was my friend for two nights and did not disappointed although not very talkative even in Thai (his english was almost non-existent). This bar had some other cute ones but probably a little too young if you care to strictly abide by the law.

I also loved the JJJ James but did not take anyone there although one of the waiter was an absolute delight. Lot of young meat is on display in this bar, which I like to look at but avoid to take away. Good Boys gave the same sight, along with some bad feeling that I cannot only explain by the ciggie smoke and the large number of asian customers. Look Boys is another place with some (mostly) young staff but hardly any discipline and too many feminine young guys. Same in Nice Boys which is a pale imitation of the former Kaos. And Minou was an absolute dump giving a slight idea of what human degradation may look like (and be sure I am generally not too fussy about this ..).

Another group of bars is the "hands on" bars, of which I visited Crazy Dragon, Happy Boys, Le Gun 1 and 69. Each one has its own format, with boys either approaching or not, showing it all or not, dancing or not. Each one has its own but I must say Le Gun would be a winner if the boys did not approach too quickly, not allowing you enough time to look carefully at what is on offer. Another common point for all these places is the numerous tatooed bodies, which is a definite turn-off for me – a pity as there are beautiful guys here and there.

I hardly visited any beer bar for this time except my usual den Threezone Bar, which is more and more a place where you come for chatting with friends and looking at the Villa Rouge entrance, but not to find boys. I also saw some interesting lads in the Mic My Boy Bar, but did not have enough time to know them better.

I also met again a boy that I had known two years ago in Boy Isaan ; he said he had just come from his place in Udon Thani where he had been staying for the last twenty months – not that I am really convinced about this though. He was about to work in one of the Sunee beer bars when he saw me walking in the soi and stopped me. As he is a nice guy, I took him twice (paying the "off" fee to the bar although he was still not really hired …) and we had a very nice time together : we went to Nang Ram beach and to my favourite sea food restaurant in Bang Sare, which he appreciated. As he decided not to stay in Pattaya, I went with him to the bus station when he went back home. No idea wether we will meet again or not.

Udon Thani lad at beach

Jomtien monsoon

Quiet afternoon in Jomtien ....

























Ninety minutes (and some drinks under the eaves of the toilet booth) later ...

Days off in Hua Hin

Coming from Phuket I staid one night in Surat Thani, which is a town no farang visits except as a harbour to Ko Samui. I love to spend one night or two in these thai towns because you can easily find the real thai way of life with no influence at all from the tourist industry. I have to say I could not find any chance to meet a willing boy ; even the banks of the Tapee River, how romantic they could be, seemed to be quite ordinary at night (including a lot of eye-candy, mostly busy with girlfriends)....

It was then the 5-hours long travel on the train from Surat Thani to Hua Hin - not as boring as it could sound because there is always a lot to see and to feel in the thai trains and looking outside.

I loved Hua Hin where I spent only two nights ... I had made my homework in Farangland and expected to find enough gay venues to stay busy for my stay. In fact the reviews that were written on the boards could be upadted and not in the right way : I never could find the Candlelight bar which is said to be located in Soi Sarakham (one of the few nightlife-oriented sois in Hua Hin that I walked up and down many times in vain) ; and the recently opened Kaos 1 Bar and Massage Place has closed some weeks ago.

Hua Hin Beach

That leaves mainly the good old Red Indian Bar and two massage places, and this was more than enough. Red Indian is a kind of beer bar with welcoming boys (6 or 7 on a week evening), but most of them were of the ladyboy type so I did not stay long. This bar is right in the middle of the Hua Hin Bazar (near the entrance to the beach) and you should find it easily.

I went then to the Guys Massage Place where they have a dozen of boys, all of the rather masculine type. Some will try to entice you for a quick massage, but take the time to look at everyone, including those who try to stave off boredom sitting on their bikes - some beautiful lads there. The massage rooms are better than before and the place is currently undergoing some renovations. You will find this place walking further than the entry to Sofitel Hotel, just before the street forks for linking the main (Phetchkasem) Road. 

The third place is within walking distance : coming from Guys, cross (well, ... try to ...) the Petchkasem Road and walk up Soi 80 in the direction of the railway ; just before the end of the soi, you will find on your left the Faq Thong Bar and Massage - don't be mislead by some poorly updated guides which still quote Faq Thong in its older location on Sasong Street. This is a small bar but well decorated and friendly, and they had 7 to 8 boys on the evening I went ... among them a trio of young Nong Khai rookies of which I chose one for my great satisfaction (do not expect a great massage though). 

I guess I will come back more often to Hua Hin because of its special atmosphere ... For now, it will be three days in Bangkok and then the trip to a more common place that some still call Pattaya ...

It's a small world

One more day in Bangkok and I am now in Phuket where I had not come since before the 2004 tsunami. The weather does not seem very appealing so I should stick to the three days I had scheduled. However I like the quiet and sound atmosphere here, and lodging in the quiet and spotless Rendez-Vous Hotel in the middle of the gay places is always a real treat. All but one gay venues are clustered together which gives the area a nice village atmosphere which you do not find elsewhere in Thailand including in Sunee Plaza.

Five gay places next door one to another

A lot of reviews have been posted recently on the boards so I will not add mine because it would not bring anything new. Phuket is now very quiet and all the boys complain about the lack of customers. I was generally the only khaek in most bars I visited although there was a full staff of boys everywhere.

I could write the same as I could have written four years ago : for me Tangmo is still the best for the boys, My Way very disappointing, and the best treasures always hide in the most out-of-the-way places. For example I liked the boys in the new Dempseys Bar which is a gay host bar next door to Connect House. And I quickly used to go to the Bi Ba Bo Restaurant which is in the inner alley which runs parallel to the Rat Uthit Road ; in this thai-owned place, they have a welcoming and caring staff, added to an unobstructed view over J&B Bar and Kai Boy Bar.

There I was sitting quietly chatting with one of the boys when a house painter working nearby approached me and asked me if I remembered him. Sorry, I could not, although his face did not seem completely unknown to the depths of my memory. It was Khit, the second boy I ever offed in Thailand, twelve years ago ... He worked in the now-disappeared Khun Bar when he was more or less 18 y/o, and we spent then some days together, including a short trip to Pattaya ; I was a rookie at the time and did not know all the ropes, so I still have mixed souvenirs of our relation which ended abruptly in a Phatphong Restaurant. He is now a wonderful 30 y/o thai man and he had since then been able to replace the broken tooth that I remembered ... Being an opportunist as he has always been, he proposed a massage which I declined ... not without an hesitation, leaving me with a strange feeling about this incredible coincidence.

Just hope it is just this .. a coincidence .. and not a bad omen that the end of my trips to Thaland could be near ...

Realizing

I am back in Bangkok since yesterday and still not fully realizing that I am now in the place I have been dreaming of since so many months ... Probably a too quick transition from boredom to abundancy, from cold weather to heat, from sharp problems to a carefree existence ...

The plane to Bangkok was far from being full (of course I could not benefit from it, being in one of the few seats which had someone next to it ...) and this is I guess a bad sign for future .. unless Austrian people are too busy with their Euro 2008).

Arriving in my hotel I had the pleasure to see they have changed their TVs and painted the whole building new ... the prices have increased but it is still a bargain. However I did not off a boy from Saphan Kwai but went to a massage place in Silom so that I could relax more easily. After a short walk, a boy in Eve House took my attention and up we went ; average massage but a very nice face face and body. There are not a lot of boys there but I always found at least one who took my fancy.

Back in Saphan Kwai, I entered my old favorite Street Boy Bar which had two students with nice faces, will take one of them for sure. In Be high only one boy looking at TV with the owner, we chatted together and he explained that because of rain, not a lot of boys had turned up and two of them were already out with customers.

Wat Sothon in Chachoengsao town

To-day I made a short day trip to visit Chachoengsao which is a quiet town not far from the Bangkok -Pattaya road. No farangs to be seen but a lot of eye-candy along the streets especially as this town has a lot of universities (sorry, no picture). I was somewhat surprised that as soon as I walked along the river, I saw a young boy and then a woman coming to me and begging (in thai) for money for a meal ... Not an usual sight in Thailand, I hope this was only a casual encounter. Wat Sothon is huge but almost deserted ; thai people generally come in crowds every week-end. And the walk along the river or the Somdet Nakharin Park are probably the place to be at dusk if you want a boy.

To-morrow I will fly to Phuket and then slowly make my way back to Bangkok on the thai busses and trains. Hope it will not rain too much down there ...

Homework

I am now slowly emerging of a very difficult period when I have had a lot of work and very little time to think of what is really important in life : thai boys. This dreadful time is almost over and I can enjoy again the prospect of having more freedom soon.

In fact what is now bringing me back to life is my next trip to Thailand … I am already booked for June 19th and it is the same bliss as every time … nothing in life is more important than this next stay. The outlook for the future is not grim anymore, and there will always be oil to feed the planes that bring us to Thailand – since there will be enough kerosene on June the 18 th at 5.15 pm ....

I have already done my homework for this trip : another flight is already booked for Phuket where I have not set a foot since the tsunami. I should stay there only a couple of days, as I know that this place can be quite boring during the day when the weather is bad. I will then slowly make my way back to Bangkok with a short stay in Hua Hin where I never had the chance to be on my own - the listings recently provided on the Sawatdee Gay Board being duly saved.

I should then stay three days in Bangkok : because of the Euro 2008, I surmise that a lot of boys will go to Sanam Luang to repay their gambling debts, and this could provide some interesting company . . .

And then it will be the usual stay in Pattaya where a lot of new places are awaiting me – including the bars which have been closed by the police and should reopen just before I arrive.

Call me a sex tourist if you want ! But I have also planned a day trip to Chachoengsao town (near Bangkok) where there are more wats than boy bars .. and I will probably take a look at the Phra Sri Nakharin park too !

Winter

I am now more stuck than ever in Farangland, with a lot of work on the hands, an everlasting winter, and an awful atmosphere like in most european countries ; everyone including me feels that future seems gloomier than ever for most people - except the rich of course.

I read the forums where spoilt expats and tourists rant over the Songkran festival and tell us how good they feel locked up at home looking at TV and DVDs ... I just hope they still realise they are living in paradise !

As for Songkran, ... I think I would LOVE it !

What's on this week ?

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.

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).

Good student

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….

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.

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.

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.

. . . . . 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) …

Happy New Year ...