Tendencies

Five weeks after my flight back, I am not thinking of my next trip yet. Remembering the wonderful month I had in Thailand is enough for the moment to help me facing the everyday boredom.

Once again the best memories were collected outside Bangkok and Pattaya ; the boys and places in Ubon and Udon were really a big deal from every point of view, and the times I had in Pattaya and Bangkok looked rather like routine when compared. Sure the fact that my trip to isan was the only time when I was on my own had someting to do with it. Moreover I visit Bangkok and Pattaya everytime I go to Thailand, when trip to other places are less frequent.

Construction worker in Udon Thani

Not that I am complaining about being in Pattaya or Bangkok .. I had my share of surprises, great times and nice boys there too. And if I did not fulfill some fantasies like bringing a construction worker to my room, I saw enough of them which could have done the trick.









However I noticed some changes in my everyday life and would like to know if they are due to me getting older or the scene changing. I hit less bars and more massage places, I spent more time with Tam and less with casual encounters, I spent more money in the restaurants and less in the discos. All this had some effect on my finances as I was able to spend less money in euros than last time, despite the fact that our currency had lost something like 15 % against the thai baht during the same time …

Tendencies to be checked next time – economics and health allowing !

Game over

Once again time has gone by so quickly … holidays #22 is now just a memory like the others. It has brought its share of bad news and good times, but like the others it has never been disppointing, sometimes surprising, always interesting.

The last days were spent in Pattaya with Tam who let me go alone more than he should have. After the usual afternoon at the beach, I went to most not yet visited bars. I was especially happy to go to the new David Boys Bar which I already have mentionned without having seen it. The owner approached me each time I went, as we have been knowing each other for a long time : he was the former owner of my favourite bar in Saphan Kwai. I could congratulate him on the nice layout of his new place, with the white colour offering a welcome change from most other bars in Boyztown. The boys were a nice bunch with one or two standing out ; on the evenings I went there, the boys were actually dancing but I don't know whether they will act this way after one month of daily work. I also went to Jomtien with Tam who wanted to see the show at The Venue ; this was another very good time : very professionnal show, some gorgeous lads, good atmosphere due to the fact that you are not locked in a room, and all this for a very reasonable price : what do you want more ?

The Sunee bars were duly visited as if I had to store up as many pictures in my mind as possible, before the unavoidable emptyness I know I will have to face back home. Nice Boys was a regular stop although I did not take any boy; I went to Eros Boys despite all the bad feedbacks (which I can only confirm), and also to some beer bars besides my usual Threezone refuge. And I have to confess that I went to the other places too, those that noone on the webboards admits to visit, but which get a steady flow of customers every night. I even saw the one with a secret passage leading to what I guess are short-time rooms. I like sleaze and I leave the right not to patronize these places to those who live in Pattaya all the year long.

I met only once this incredibly cute motorsai driver who picked me up in Sunee (near Nice Boys bar) late at night, so I guess he is not on duty there every evening. He did not react to my very light touching during the ride, and when I asked him what time he left his work, he answered "to-morrow morning" without the slightest hint he could be available. My pen rai, what is most interesting in Thailand is not to sleep with as many cute boys as possible, but to know that at least you have many more chances to get the one you fancy than elsewhere in the world – unless of course you are young and cute yourself.

Jomtien Beach at its best

The sunshine endly came on the day I had to go back to Bangkok for my last two days in Thailand. This is the time I try almost physically to hold back the time which flies on. Rather than a much needed good sleep, I chose to walk and walk again aimlessly, just to fill all my body with the odors, the atmosphere, the faces that I will crave for for eleven months to come. And I used the few minutes left to do all the chores and the shopping I had been conscientiously delaying for one month.

Once again I had to admit defeat against time. I know that one day I will be the one – and not my boss – who will choose the day I'll leave the country which I love.

Retreat in Rayong

Rayong boy on gayromeo

One of my best memories of last year's holidays was a short trip I made with Tam and Phi Kho to Rayong Province … so I had decided to spend one or two nights there again in the middle of my Pattaya stay. I had made my housework so I had found a nice hotel in the middle of Hat Mae Ramphung, facing the beach and with reasonable rates.

I was not too keen on Tam coming with me, especially as I had spotted a nice local lad on Gayromeo who could have made a good companion for the night, but in the same time Tam had been a little bit upset by the fact I had gone to Isaan alone, so I owed him some compensation. I just feared that he would be bored stiff as the hotel was in the middle of nowhere except for the beach.

Moreover we went there on a Monday and a Tuesday night to escape the crowds (and get better rates) – and there was really no crowd at all : like last year, a 10 km long beach with almost nobody except good and cheap seafood restaurants, which were our only entertainment. Unfortunately the sunshine was much less generous than last year with clouds desperately obstructing the sky, which somwhat dampened my mood.

Tam used the day we spent there to go to Rayong Town ; like me he likes to walk in town, to feel the atmosphere and visit temples and shopping malls … he went alone as I was sitting on the beach waiting for the sun to break through (which it did very shortly and very slightly). In the evening we were walking along the poorly lit beach road looking for a restaurant, thinking it would be nice to open a farang-oriented homestay with male staff and special transportation to and from Pattaya … the beach provides a nice change from the overcrowded Jomtien chairs and the overpriced Pattaya restaurants, you just have to provide the night entertainment to lure the crowds.

I came back to the Pattaya hustle and bustle with some relief – and on a bus so slow that it finally got on my nerves especially as I could see the sun finally shining through the dirty windows.

A rare sight on weekdays : tourists on Mae Ramphung Beach

Practicalities : from Pattaya hop in any Rayong-bound bus from Sukhumwit Road ; in the main Rayong Bus Station (in downtown Rayong), songthaews leave to Hat Mae Ramphung every 30 minutes. Or have your own wheels.

There are many hotels and guesthouses along the beach and they are almost deserted during weekdays – we staid in Rayong Beach Hotel in the middle of the beach, go to http://rayongbeachhotel.com/ for more.

Holy days

The last ten days of my trip are the holidays inside the holiday : I stay in Pattaya, planning nothing, letting life carry me along. I have just come yesterday with Tam who had joined me in Bangkok, and he does not dislike this life as most of the time he has as much freedom as I have.

The typical day begins for me with a two or three hours working session around the hotel swimming pool, where I put a lot of efforts into improving my suntan. In the same time, Tam lazes in the room reading motoring magazines or looking at some movie on the TV. We get together at noon for a meal in our favourite eatery which is the same as last year : Nong Jai on Tipp Plaza – despite all the cute waiters from last year having gone elsewhere.

Latest attraction at Jomtien Beach

I then go to Jomtien, usually alone as Tam does not like too much doing nothing in the heat of the beach. I usually escape the hustle of the yellow chairs and walk some meters farther on until I reach a place with less cute beach attendants but also less noise, less shouting, less cig smoking and more space.

And this does not mean the place is boring : most beach sellers pass by, including the newest attraction which is a huge blue ball you can move from inside for a fee.



In the evening we have another meal at Nong Jai or at Oh Aharn Thai on Pattaya Tai where everything is really delicious. And then I go to the bars mostly alone, although Tam sometimes goes with me especially to the Pattayaland bars. And I have to say that I like to go to Pattayaland more than before : there are so many boys to look at, and so many bars to discover. With J Jimmy James, Euro Boys and Sundance now closed, shopping around Sunee Plaza is quickly done, whereas there always seem to be a bar you do not know in Pattayaland.

Two days ago, we went again to Tamnan Chon with Tam, one of his friends, and the usual friend of his friend with the girlfriend in tow. The night was good with lots of music and alcool but I could not stop noticing that the friend of the friend was more and more often looking at me and putting his hand on my knee – and I was more and more interested in him. When I went to the toilets, he followed me and stood in front of the next urinal ; it was obvious he wanted to show me what he had between his legs and it was not an ugly sight at all. I felt very unconfortable when we went back to our table where my boyfriend and the boy's girlfriend where waiting, pretending not to have noticed anything. To make a long story short, Tam went to his own room, and the boy came to mine. The action was beginning to heat up when he began to ask for a rather steep fee – just at the moment when I was really excited by this young isan guy, how could I have refused. Sex was good and I guess it was mostly due to the fact that I felt like a young man whom another young man was craving for (or was it for my wallet ?)… In fact the guy was a mere money-boy : I came upon him yesterday in a beer bar where he was working. I will never know why this boy ended up at the same table as me that night, but it is such a nice illusion to feel desired by someone when you did not expect it at all …

Bangkok hunting

Bangkok is the place where I like to drop my suitcases between two trips in Pattaya or in the provinces ; this is why I usually spend at least seven or eight nights there in total during a one month stay in Thailand. I know many do not like the hectic pace of life in the big city, but Bangkok has really a lot to offer be it during the day or at night. During these two days between dusty Isaan and hot Pattaya, I could do some shopping, update my laundry – and my blog … - and sleep in after six tiring days.

I could not ignore the bars and divided my time between Patphong and Saphan Kwai. In Patphong, Tam brought me to Dream Boys, and I have to thank him for this as I would not go alone in the Soi Twilight places mostly because of their outrageous prices (300 THB for a beer). We loved the show (with a lot of nudity and explicit sex), and some of the boys, but were a little bit upset to be invited to go downstairs in Boys Bangkok at the end of the show. Alone I could then visit Nice Boys – nothing to write home about -, Solid Boys which had only six boys, and My Way which was too dark to see anything except some young faces : they could well have been the jailbait that a recent thread talked about.

In Saphan Kwai I turned up once again into my favourite Street Boy where the new owner seems to have good ideas to revive the place, including hiring some nice guys (and, I was told, proposing some dancing on Friday and Saturday nights). On the contrary I entered the neighbouring Adam just to be completely ignored by anyone, so another place to avoid in the future. Most bars seemed to have less boys than last year and the mamasan in Heaven did not even invite me to go inside although I have been knowing him for some time now : "only two boys to-night" he told me.

And then there are the massage places which could keep you busy for many months. Bangkok is thriving with new places in every nook and cranny of the town, most being in the grey area between authentic massage shops, and sex places – which is what makes them attractive. However selecting a place on the net – for example from the very good Thai Massage Boy website http://www.thaimassageboy.com/homepage/ is too uncertain because the boy you had picked from their website could well not be there or already busy. You cannot risk to loose an entire evening going for example to Nonthaburi when you have too little time. I had read about a place which had got good reviews on a thai webboard and was opportunely located in Saphan Kwai : it is curiously called "Pruksa Bureau Massage" and is hidden in a small soi along Phahonyothin Road – near the north west exit of Saphan Kwai BTS station, same soi as Samsara Spa. The experience was good and cheap but I could chose from only two boys and the one I picked was more into massage than into anything else ; however I know that some extra service can be had in this place like in most others.

rent-boy near Saranrom Park

And to confirm the general dwindling of the number of boys selling themselves – a rather good news for Thailand if not for us -, I had another trip to the Saranrom area and found very few rent-boys although I went at the suitable time (about 10 / 11 pm). The area east of Wat Phra Kaew was almost deserted problably due to the closing of the road running along the Defence Ministry, making driving around Saranrom impossible. The boys were standing mostly south and west of the Wat Phra Kaew coumpounds, which is a poorly lit and more dangerous looking area. I asked the taxi driver do go on although there were some nice and desirable guys as usual, but clearly more scattered than before.

So all in all a rather ordinary time in Bangkok but with more time on my hands I would probably have found beautiful surprises …

Paradorn

The new Paradorn

Did you ever fancy to sleep with the famous thai tennis star ? It happened to me in Udon Thani. In fact I spent a night with a boy who looked very much like him, and about thirteen years younger ... to the point that you could imagine that Paradorn's father was a horny postman in the Udon Thani area. And more than this, the look-alike provided great sex and a very affectionate attitude.

I found this jewel in Boyzone Bar, which is one of the two gay bars left in Udon Thani. The location is not very convenient as it is quite far from the center and walking there would be at least a thirty minutes chore. Boyzone has just changed its location and some tuk tuk seem not to know the new place yet ; the exact location is on PhornPhisai Road, west of the north end of Thanon Adunyadet, exacty between Adunyadet Soi 7 and Pracha Uthit Road intersections. Moreover the owner is a cute young thai who has a very brilliant attitude and speaks excellent english.

To my great disappointment, the old Boys Boys Bar closed four or five months ago, after they had moved to a new location near the Srisuk Road Post Office (same soi as Bandung Spa) ; it is a pity, as they had more of the boys next door type. The third bar is City Man on the south part of Adunyadet Road, between the Fountain Circle and what the locals call the Haayaek Wunwai (which translates approximately as a crossing with five roads converging which is a nightmare). They have four or five boys, all very male, but their policy is not very fair ; if you invite a boy (or if they invite him for you), they will add beers as long as you do not stop them so that you have to be on your guards if you want to keep in control of the tab and your alcohol consumption.

Besides these two bars (and I am surprised enough that no one has ever mentioned the Boys Boys closure on any thai related gay board - I guess I have to do all the dirty work here ...), there are two massage places that are still working and get good reviews. And boys are said to hustle at night on the north park of Sri Muang Park near the monuments - but I could not see anyone, although a tuk tuk driver had announced many young guys eager to go with you for 300/400 THB.

Another Boyzone guy

My hotel was the always good Charoen Hotel near the main bus station ; no Halloween Night in Udon Thani and no one missed this awful american thing.

On my lifelong duty to stay at least for one night in every thai province, I had a stop in Chayaphum where tourism is not really developped and you can understand why as there is not a lot to see in town. However the national parks in the province are beautiful but you have to be on your own wheels. Many dark-skinned boys, with possibilities in a small pub called "Nice" opposite to the Dee Phrom Hotel, but I did not test at all.

The dreaded end of my holidays is getting close, it will be now two days in Bangkok and then nine days in Pattaya and Rayong mostly with Tam, but I am as always free to look for other pleasures...

Adventures on isaan roads

Street scene in Ubon Ratchathani

Naklua’s suggestion was a great one. I went to this small place called Black Beans (which reminds something not very poetical relating to gay sex). I had never read anything about it in any webboard but my official tuk tuk driver knew everything about gay places in Ubon. This is a karaoke bar located almost next door to Krung Thong Hotel in downtown Ubon. There is a bunch of about eight to ten lads on duty, and once again I was surprised by their high level of cuteness. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that some seemed to be rather on the young side. I took a 22 y/o student coming from Loei Province which proved to be an excellent partner for the night.

So that leaves us with the coyotee bar, the karaoke bar, and also two places where gay people go : one near Laithong Hotel and the other out of town (sorry I do not know more) – more than you could expect for what is usually labelled as a gay desert. And I do not count the mysterious house of boys that no one wants to tell about …

As for praticalities, Ubon is a big town but they have a very easy bus system and tuk-tuks can be found everywhere ; I staid in Nevada Grand Hotel (now Ubon International Hotel) which was nice despite showing its age, and within walking distance to Famous Bar. However the neighbouring Nevada Complex is now almost empty so I guess this is not any more the place to find boys at night.

Mukdahan Tower

My trip to Mukdahan was quite uneventful except for the fact that in these days of end of school holidays, busses and stations were filled to overflowing with pretty young things getting back to their universities. Mukdahan was another of these towns I would call John Deere Buri but with nice views over the Mekong as a premium. Strangely enough, the banks were almost deserted at night. One night was enough.

The trip to Udon was along a 2nd class bus and for more than five hours, it could have been a nightmare because the bus was more than full. I was lucky enough to get one of the last seats, about 20 other travellers had to stand for 2 hours until we could reach Sakhon Nakhon.

I was sitting on the back seat, trapped between an elederly monk and two students who shared the same seat, one sitting between the wide opened legs of the second.... You can imagine that the trip was a complete dream, and I had no qualms about pressing my leg towards the boy's in order to give as much space as possible to the monk, of course out of respect for him. The latter seemed to apreciate it as he suddenly tied a band around my wrist. This happened exactly when we were entering the That Phanom district, and this is where my boyfriend's favourite wat is located.

Wild Ubon Ratchathani

I am now beginning my second and last night in Ubon Ratchathani and I love to be here. First of all what I see all the day long is most pleasing to the eye, and if some Pattaya residents are asking where the beautiful boys are, well I guess there is a fair share left here in Isaan. Moreover the whole town exudes a wild atmosphere and at night the streets belong to young motorists all more handsome one than another... is it because helmets are a totally unknown thing here, is it because of the persistant wind ? Anyway I really feel like being in the Far West here.

Thung Si Muang park in Ubon Ratchathani

However the official gay scene is rather limted ; my first visit was for the so-called "Famous Bar", which claims itself as a gay bar but is rather a boys bar with an unusual format ; they have six to eight boys acting both as waiters and coyotee dancers ; both women and gays come here but what I mainly saw was women yelling at the boys who of course are more interested in them than in older farangs ... This bar is located behind the former bus station which is now known as Talaat Hok (market number 6), along Chayangkhun Road (the big road towards Amnat Charoen). Things begin to liven up at midnight. Despite one of the boys here being what most would call an absolute stunner, I did not stay there. In fact I quickly realised that he was probably beyond reach, and so I had to look elsewhere - sorry cannot tell more.

This night I will try the suggestion by Naklua (see comment in last post), and also see whether there are some hustlers near the park ; to-morrow it will be a short bus ride to Mukdahan where there will probably be not much to report about.

On the move

After one week in Pattaya, I am now entering the second part of my trip, the one which usually leaves me the best and most vibrant memories. This is the ten days or so when I travel to places I know little or nothing about.

Hua Hin Beach

I have just come back from a one-day escape to Hua Hin where I like to go every second or third year. This is mainly because I like the quiet atmosphere of the place, and also as Hua Hin was the first area I went aside from the usual Bangkok-Pattaya pair. I had a nice chat in the old Red Indian Bar with a cool guy from Chonburi and then headed for the new Little Choices Bar ; about five or six guys there, but I could not scrutinise them as much as I would have liked, because one preyed on me and did not stop talking. When he finally left, the brown-skinned young guy I had noticed at first had disappeared.

I gave the almost next-door Guyz Bar a miss as there was no boy sitting in front, and went then to another bar that the Chonburi guy had told me about - and I had never heard of this place before, though it is open since three or four months. It is called SM Bar but has nothing to do with what you could imagine. This bar is located on the south side of Chomsin Road, west of the railway (about 400 m from the level crossing) and it is just an ordinary bar and massage with five boys ; as it was beginning to rain, I stayed there more than I had thought and with the influence of numerous Chang beers, I finished the evening with one of the waiters in the so-called massage room.

All in all a nice but short stay in Hua Hin where I found more masculine boys than before, and where I always promise to myself that I should stay longer next time. The hotel I staid was a steal with big clean quiet rooms, a pool and one of the best locations in town (close to the gay bars) for only 980 THB.

To-morrow will be another day and atmosphere with a flight to Ubon Ratchathani where I will have two days to explore the town - at least the still not flooded areas.

New stage

When you think you know all the best places in Thailand, you just wait for another year and everything will be changed.

So if you want to be in the know now in Pattaya, you will have to bring your friends to Tamnan Chon (on Pattaya 3 close to new Hollywood) which is the newest place to go for a nice evening. You only have to love thai music, and you will listen to three or four bands singing luk thung, as well as string with intervals for dancing : a modern version of Tamnan Isan or Sri Saket with good eating, sturdy wooden tables and chairs, and the usual good service. No coyotee boys however. The time just seemed to fly when I went there with Tam and four of his friends (allowing him to gain more face in the same time). What I liked most was listening at all the audience singing together when the band suddenly stopped singing : this was in tune, enthusiastic, and very impressive. In fact it is in these moments that I understand why I love Thailand - and do not ask me why, I could not answer.

Tamnan Chon in Pattaya

My first stay in Pattaya is now coming to an end, and I can only report of the few bars I went in ; as usual in Boyztown, Funny Boys still has a very welcoming staff, and boys mostly to my taste unlike most other bars in the area. Besides this, I could find the new bar that  the former Street Boy owner has bought : it is called David, a big place with white colour as the theme. They should open before the end of this month in Pattayaland on the same side as Cupidol and Sawatdee.

I had five great days in Pattaya with lots of sun in Jomtien, not to many people on the beach or on the streets ; sure things will have changed when I will come back in two weeks. For now it will be a mix of Bangkok and Hua Hin with a trip to Isan, the only fear being of course the huge flood that are now hurting so many people in the country. A good news being that I will be on my own after one week with Tam ... not that I do not like being with him but having a full freedom is not so bad either.

Awkward

For our second night in Bangkok, Tam and me went for a drink in City Walk, a rather out-of-the way place (near Saranrom Palace) ; not a lot of customers but we went probably too early. Too early as well for having a chance to find boys hustling along the streets. However I could see two of them sitting on a bridge rail and they were handsome enough to justify a further trip there. We also went to some other Saphan Khwai bars, mainly to the famous "Charmming" which had been falsely announced as closed. However there were not a lot of boys sitting there, but all of them as cute as usual.

Tam is now with me in Pattaya, which has prevented me so far to make some detailed exploration. However I saw enough to say I now realize that what had been said on the boards is not completely false. Yes there are still a lot of people in Sunee but when you come only once a year you can immediately notice how many bars have closed, how much they are missed in the scene, and also how much arabic places slowly invade the area. And I think that without all the boys that used to roam along the sois, the atmosphere is not quite the same as before - even if I would not have only spoken to anyone of them.

Speaking of questionable boys, I found myself in a very awkward situation in Jomtien when a -legal- seller came to sit with me, as we know each other since two years. All of a sudden he left to another customer leaving me with his young brother (13 y/o but looking only 10). And this boy was innocently sitting near me, making himself at home, sipping his Cola and lazily stretching his legs. Ten minutes seemed like one full hour. The fact that I felt so uncomfortable during this time tells a lot about the present hysteria about underage boys whom we should avoid as if they were plague-stricken people.

Gift

Christmas arrived yesterday and I got what I had craved for : being able to have once again a one month stay in Thailand.

It took a long time however as I had chosen to leave home early so that I could have a little time in Zurich.  I used it for strolling about in downtown where there are some gay bars - mostly one where I met another thai boy many years ago. I had been brought there by the first thai guy I met in Geneva ; as he had to go to Zurich, I proposed myself to take him with my car and when he brought me in Carousel bar, my jaw dropped at seing three or four asian boys waiting for a customer. I think this is one of the places which made me decide to go to Thailand as soon as possible, and this changed my life.

Thai guys have now left the Carousel Bar since many years, and I still have to find where they have gone. Hustlers are now mainly east-europeans and mostly gypsies ; I love their dark skin and their manly attitude but I would not be confident enough to take one, let alone having a holiday in Romania …

Swiss being what they are known for, my flight arrived just in time in Bangkok, and after a 15 minutes waiting for immigration and another 15 minutes for luggage, I arrived in my nest in Saphan Kwai one hour and a half after landing, which was not too bad. Of course having left the debilitating pace of everyday life for a one month interval, makes delays and wastes of time much more bearable.

Tam had left his work in a Pattaya hotel and come and see me in Bangkok, and we spent the evening together … not that this was the way I had imagined for my first night in Bangkok as I like to be alone as much as possible, but he is my boyfriend after all, and the nicest guy on earth when he is smiling. We made the usual trip to Rakhang Thong restaurant in front of Elisabeth Hotel and had a beautiful meal with a Tom Yam Kung to die for.

I brought him then to Street Boy, which has a new owner, after the former one – an oldish kathoey who was very nice and spoke good english - has left for Pattaya. We listened to the latest lukthung hits while looking at the 5 or 6 boys working there – two of them I could easily have taken with me for a night. We were rather inebriated already when we arrived in Be High which had only two boys left after three were said to be already offed. A couple of beers and much flirting and chatting with a Chiang Mai host later, it was time to head for the hotel.

Still one day in Bangkok and then it wil be a short trip to Pattaya.

(as usual, except mentioned otherwise, the boy above is not an acquaintance of mine and his picture is here for your viewing pleasure only)

Christmas ahead of time

Unwrapping the gifts

Only one week to go … I spent my whole weekend gathering more information, packing my bags, downloading thai music to my MP3 for the long flight, all this with an unique thrill of anticipation that only an impending trip to Tailand can get you into.

Exactly the same thrill that I felt when I was a child and Christmas was coming : I cannot wait to discover what presents I will find under the tree. It's the excitement of not knowing what this month will bring … whom I may see … where I may find someting or someone.

What is most incredible is that unique feeling is exactly the same I had before the first trip fourteen yers ago … At 56 I am somewhat jaded by many things in life .. except by what is the aim of a whole boring year and occupies a lot of my mind every day and every night. And I am pretty sure this is not due only to the boys, but to the general atmosphere of a country that I love .. the atmosphere I had felt from my very first hour in Bangkok when I was walking in the morning along the busy lanes near Malaysia Hotel.

Fourteen years ago, Christmas began coming in October and never moved any more.

Happiness

Only four weeks to go .. I have just come to the point when I have less waiting time than the total amount of time I will spend in Thailand, and this is exactly the point when the next stay turns from an unreachable illusion to a possible fact.

No must-to-do list this time as two-thirds of what I schedule usually stay undone. I only have a booked flight form Bangkok to Ubon on October 28 th and the rest of the stay will be organised from day to day. I just noticed that there will be a long holiday around the 23rd of October so I will have to come to Pattaya some days before. Better to stay flexible as weather, politics, health hazards (and boys) could shatter any tight schedule.

Am I getting older ? I feel that I should be much more cautious this time with many things. I am really concerned about mosquito-borne deseases especially as I will spend some days in the Northeast. And some stories about the atmosphere getting worse in Pattaya are worrying .. not so much about crimes as it is only a matter of not being in the wrong place at the wrong time : but dealing with some of the new patronage Pattaya is now attracting seems more and more difficult for this farang who likes peacefulness, politeness and good eduaction, all of which do not seem to be the main characteristics of some of the new Pattaya visitors.

Hey, it could be worse .. what would be really worrying would be not being able to go to Thailand any more because of money, health, or work … for the time being I am as excited as before my second trip because I know since then that Thailand is the place where I always find happiness.

Hope

You are there so there is a dream
There is a dream so there is hope

These are the first words of one of the greatest lukthung hits of the year by Phai Phongsathon, the cute male singer from Yasothon (mi thoe jung mii khwamfan).

There is hope because once again I should have another stay in Thailand in two and a half month and this prospect fills me with joy – as childish as it may sound for those of you who live full time there.

I have not updated the blog since a long time because of too much work and also too many bad news : troubles in Bangkok, euro's plummetting value, and new rules regarding retirement age in my country : my government wants me to work for about two years more than expected … not very fair if you ask me (more appropriate words being treason and disgrace).

The drought hitting Thailand this year made me also very concerned about my boyfriend Tam who could not work at his farm, and I felt he was quite upset by the severe lack of rain. He has just been hired as a cook in a hotel restaurant in Jomtien and I hope everything will be OK for him.

Even the webboards about gay Thailand could not help alleviate the bad atmosphere. The main one has now turned into a hopeless battlefield where there is very little to read except for some trip reports. One of the posters – the famous LMTU – is one of the few bothering to give interesting information and feelings, but he is generally ranted at by some posters who seem to spend their whole aimless life behind a computer screen (although I admit not knowing – and not being interested by – the whole story). Gaybutton starting a new board again is a good news and the first threads seem to be encouraging (link on the right) - and yes this will be make all of us youger by many years !

I am now in the process of planning my stay and have a lot of housework arranging flights and hotels with the aim to visit some new places in Isaan and also taking my time in Bangkok and Pattaya. And I have to say I am more and more often thinking of having Tam or another brown-skinned Thai boy in my bed …

Uncertain times

I am currently not in Thailand and far from being there … in fact I am just in the middle of my stay in Farangland and it is still five months and a half before I land again in Suwanaphum – flight booked since one month

Despite being very busy at work, I keep tightly in touch with what's going on in Thailand now and I understand the situation is very hot and could change for the worst at short notice. My opinion about all this doesn't matter except for the fact that all this mess is a very sad time for thai people whom I like so much, and beginning with the Highest Person in the country.

And also it seems another step in a downwards spiral which could bring Thailand to a point where I would not be interested to go there again … I am far from it now, having invested so much time and passion to learn this country, loving it so much and still being excited to go there as if it were the first trip.

You should see me recording thai music on my MP3 for my next trip … Or answering with all the details an inquiry about Ubon gay places on a gay webboard (which gave me a strong desire to plan a short visit there very soon …). Not what you could imagine from a respected mature adult …

Would I go if I were to leave in two weeks ? Of course yes but I would be very worried, not so much about my own security but because of all the hindrances the reds' actions would put across my way. I can live in Bangkok without setting a foot in Silom and Siam Square for sure, although I would miss my frequent jaunts to Dicks Café or the Soi Pratuchai massage places. From what I understand, my beloved Saphan Kwai area is not affected at all, and Saranrom area is still brimmed with boys at night - cute as ever and more willing than ever from what I understand on a thai website - although they moved a little further from the former area.

What is more disturbing are the road checks, time losses, and everything which could happen which would thwart the most carefully scheduled plans … This is why nothing is planned yet : I intended at first to go in Chiang Mai again with short stops in Uthai Thani and Phitsanuloke (where I just heard of a new gay bar) but am now more inclined towards Isaan.

Anyway being able to go there again would be so great in itself in these uncertain times that everything else will come as a bonus.

Samui

Yes the pool is in Koh Samui ; at least this is what we could guess from this picture.

I never went there despite some good information we read here and there about gay nightlife in Chaweng. Samui is not yet in my plans for my next trip (just booked my flight at a reasonable rate but still a long time from to-day).

By the way I opened a Twitter account (see link in the upper right corner of this page) but I am not smart enough to be sure it will be useful or not ...

Trifles

I still wonder how I am able to endure eleven months at home when I perfectly know that for the next four or five years, my stays in Thailand will only be the usual four-weeks trips – if everything goes well ! I am said one could get mental disorders from situations like this ?

How much I would like to explore the country on my own, go wherever I wish to go and stay as long as I want … for now it's only a dream and a dream which could come true .. or not ! Uncertainties about retirement age, about health and everything which could happen, about the future of our euro, seem to grow every year.

Some novelties have just come to enlighten the time I have to spend here … trivial things but which are so important when you are stuck in a neverending winter and a boring routine..

First there was the new Lonely Planet French edition … I know some regard this travel guide as useless and tacky and I am the first one to escape the places they advise too strongly. They have some good information however and they provide good reading when you are far from Thailand. For the first time they have included a chapter about a province which is one my favourite ones : Phayao ; this shows that they try hard to find interesting new places to visit. I was egoistically relieved that they did not list my preferred hotels in Bangkok and Pattaya, which will make them stay affordable and not too busy … And two provinces I want to visit one day – after viewing some TV programs about them – were not listed as well, so I guess that I should be very quiet next time in Nong Bua Lamphu and Uthai Thani …

Another important (for me) trifle was the new Thai TV schedule. I know there are a lot of thai channels on the net but I prefer to look at TV on a real TV set so my choice is limited to the international thai channel known as TV Global Network. Since January they have a new schedule with lots of music which seem to come from Fun TV .. if you don't know this channel, your boyfriend does. Many programs show lots of songs in the lukthung and phua tchiwit genre, and this improves daily life a lot …

You need everything when you count eight months before going back to the place you love

Happy New Year 2553

A very happy New Year to everyone ... 
                                                 and thank you for coming