Food for thought

Visions at Jomtien Beach

This 10-days stay in Pattaya was as usual a time for resting, cooling down, and lazying in the sun not only for fun, but also for health reasons I explained some years ago. So the pattern of my days were quite the same : hotel roof-top in the morning, Jomtien Beach  in the afternoon, and the bars at night. But besides the growing sadness to see the time elapsing so quickly and the end of my vacation coming to an end, something new was entering my mind every day :  the thought I should begin to think over what I will do when I will have plenty of time for me.

Economic crashdown allowing, I should retire in about 14 months time, which leaves me about one year to make plans. Not an easy task when from one day to another you may learn of any bad news dashing the huge hope of finally leaving the rat race and leading the life you want after so many years of hard work. Useless to say I am still thinking about it, although it becomes more and more obvious I will not stay in Thailand for the whole year : an ageing mother, family links, and financial constraints, will probably force me to limit the duration of my stays. But every "rooms for rent" sign made my heart leap : at last these signs are not ALWAYS for other people, one day they will interest me too.

There is no need to comment about what everyone can read on the boards : more and more arabic and russian presence, less and less bars, and very few people in Boyztown. However I thought there is still no other place on earth like Pattaya, and I could not imagine ignoring it despite the fact I love to visit the provinces.

I could not find a new favourite bar to hang out the way I used to hang out in Threezone Bar. Diamond Bar was a little too big for me, Samorn's Bar could have done the trick but the boys did not seem to be really concerned. I guess I will have to see the new avatar of Threezone Bar, which I could not visit, having to leave before their opening. Finally I spent some time in CU Bar which has very frisky boys, and I could not escape a drink behind the famous screens : with two boys all over me and two other boys helping themselves with farangs facing my table, quite a nice experience …

I also had the surprise to find a boy I had offed a very long time ago and who is now a part-time waiter at Eros Boys. I could not recognise him straightaway but I had already noticed him ; anyway he was the boy I would have chosen. "Hello, do you remember me, I am P.. from Four Seasons Bar". He wanted to go to my room and then to his place, and then to a room above the bar, which I declined for various reasons. We finally ended in a small room besides the bar – a place appartently designed for this purpose, and it did not take long for me to show him my appreciation. A great face, and the same lean and dark-skinned body I cherish above all. I asked him why he could remember me so well, "because you were one of the very few thai-speaking farangs I ever met" was his answer – another incentive for learning thai I had not thought of. 

European atmosphere

Besides this, I spent most of my time with my boyfriend, who had additionnal health problems. I will never forget the time when he came back from the dental surgery, shivering and suffering as I had never seen before. Fortunately things went better and we were able to made our trip to Bang Sare for another seafood adventure. He decided then to bring me to the Big Buddha mountain and to the neighbouring vineyard (Silver Lake resort) where they try to recreate some européean atmosphere.

Another evening was devoted to the mor-lam concert on Third Road but I was a little disappointed by the artists they had on that night (not a well-known singer but an orchester from Khon Kaen), and also by the less than comfortable conditions – if your friends insist on finding a chair, this will not be for allowing the old farang to sit down, but for having a place to keep the drinks …

All in all we got along well despite the fact I had not invited him to my isaan trip ; to speak the truth he was working when I was preparing my trip and reserving my flights, and so I could not imagine he would be free. He will have now to find a stable job so that he will be able to buy the car he is dreaming of – and which I am financially unable to pay for. But this is another story.

Rediscovery

Four days in Bangkok : this is probably the longest stay I have made in Bangkok since at least twelve years. In order to rediscover the town for a longer time, I even gave up going to Hua Hin for one night, partly because I thought it was a long and dangerous ride for so little time. Sorry for Chico Bar where I guess the boys are as welcoming as before, sorry for the other new bars,  I will have to wait the not so far blessed time when I should have some more time on my hands.

Although I like to visit the bars in Bangok and elsewhere, and hope that they will last for a long time, I have to confess I neglected them a little. Except for a short visit to the neighbouring Be High and to Classic Boys, I found once again my entertainment with boys I had known from Camfrog.  The first one was the boy I had met last June in Mahasarakham, as he is now working in Bangkok. We met at his working place in a distant suburb in Latphrao area, and I guess he was surprised to see I had not broken my promise to meet him again. We quickly came back to Saphan Kwai for a meal in my usual restaurant and then headed for a karaoke, as I knew he was a very good singer – when he sings Phai Phongsathon songs, it's like listening to the real singer. Unfortunately he wanted a karaoke with individual boxes and this is not the format they have in the Saphan Kwai bars … so back to my room where his shyness completely disappeared. He still has the body of a 16 year old boy (despite being 22) and I could cuddle this nice isan boys for the whole night and once again on the next afternoon : he seemed much more interested staying in the room than visiting the Grand Palace though he had never visited it before.

The other boy which I had dated was this young guy from Samut Prakarn that I had called Mr. Goody Goody in a former post. He could come alone to Saphan Kwai, but I still had to wait for him at the BTS station. The night was another touching and fondling  festival and more ; I sent him back to Samut Prakan on the following day, but I realise now he likely had hoped to stay with me for a longer time. Sorry boy, I am rather of the butterfly variety …

The rest of my days was used to "working" on the net (for example updating this blog !), with some heavy rainfalls preventing me from going outside as much as I had wanted. I also went to the Chatujak area, especially in the neigbouring park where many people come to rest after the strenuous visit to the market : some eye-candy to be seen and a pleasant and fresh area right in the middle of the awful traffic of people visiting the market.

Lazy times in Chatuchak Park

When being on my own at night, I used to have a meal in Dicks Café ; dining alone in Rakhang Thong or another fine restaurant would have been  completely out of place. One night, a short stroll brought me to the new Super A where this 22 y/o boy from Udon catched my eyes with his lean body and shy face : OK for a massage on the premises where they still have the rooms that were used when the place was a massage-only shop. What a pity they have recycled the former Super A mamasan into the official janitor of the rooms, with a mandatory 100 THB tip for getting a large amount of condoms. The boy was good but did not want to kiss.

Instead of going back to my hotel, I wanted to have another look at the Grand Palace area where I chose once again to walk rather than touring the place with a taxi. Definitely more boys than the last time I went, with some nice ones especially on the east side along Khlong Lot. Just across the canal, there is a long standing cafe/bar, open till late, which nobody ever tells about despite having quite a good patronage. Although not being 100 % gay, this City Walk Pub and Karaoke could be a very convenient basis for exploring the area.

I like being alone in Bangkok, there is always something to do, to see and to visit. End of freedom for the next 10 days in Pattaya where the boy-friend is awaiting me, but I know I will be able to visit many bars alone – result of the gentleman's agreements we had some years ago.

Or tourist ?

Cute boat competitor in Nong Khai

No Camfrog boy in Nong Khai, just the wish to look at the Mae Khong river, and add another province to the list of the places I have spent at least one night (28 and counting ...). And also to try the ”Oasis Bar” which advertises itself as being the only gay bar in town.

However I was lucky enough to stay in Nong Khai just when the Boat Races took place, which prompted me to stay two nights instead of the one that I had planned. It is not possible to stay blind at the sight of these 40 + teams of brown-skinned and well-toned men doing their best for defending their province (the one I could snap above is for me an absolute cutie). The banks of the river were full of people looking at the races, many of them being groups of young local students offering one of the most beautiful sight I had ever seen in Thailand.

Oasis Bar in Nong Khai

As for the bar, forget finding a boy there : it is mostly a nice place to hang out in a good atmosphere close to the Maekhong river (breathtaking views at sunset). Do not fancy the gorgeous 17 y/o lad you could meet there, he is not available and not only for legal reasons. And do not trust the map on their website : the bar is still further downstream among other bars and restaurants between Soi Pho Sri 3 and Pho Sri 4, named from the neighbouring Pho Sri temple ; you will probably have to hire a tuk-tuk to go there.

Udon Thani was my last stop in Isan before flying back to Bangkok. I was rather disappointed by the place but I had probably not enough time to visit it. Boyzone Bar was not bad with a good bunch of boys but the owner told me he could close at the end of the year due to the lack of customers, which he explained by the new internet networks allowing people to meet boys everywhere merely  by contacting them on-line.

The other Bar (City Man) is still there but as I finished paying 90 THB for a 30 THB Coke I had ordered (mamasan drink ?), I guess its reputation as a place cheating customers is still justified (and I had to stop a boy from bringing me another bottle I had not ordered).

So much for Isan, and back to normal life with some days in Bangkok.

Sex tourist ?

Khorat and Khon Kaen are not really places you would visit for their temples and their tourist attractions. And I did not visit these strange places for these reasons. In fact I wanted to meet two boys that I had known on Camfrog ; as it should not be for discussing philosophy, you would be right labelling me as a sex tourist.

I had visited Khorat some times before, and as the former Boys Bar is now closed since some years already, the main attraction was this 19 y/o boy called Art. He had been rather blunt in our conversations - although we never had anything lewd on line. He had called me several times to be sure I would visit him and finally he came to my hotel. Like always with thai boys, more sexy than I could have imagined from the poor views we get on Camfrog. In this case you never know what are the real intentions of the guy who is in front of you, so after some chit chat, I asked him : “do you want to have a meal ?” “Do you want to go somewhere ?” “No” was the answer. Only when I asked him “do you want to play with me”, he told me “yes” immediately . No more words were needed, we did what we had to do with this country boy kissing and hugging as if it was his last day. I gave him 1500 THB “to help for your studies”, he called a friend to take him back home and I slept alone for the night.

My hotel (Korat Hotel) was a typical thai hotel with excellent food, karaoke, cleanliness and good location. It was important to be near the Ya Mo monument as it is the place where boys are used to selling their services, and there were some at night when I went there for a last stroll (but no stunner in sight).

In Khon Kaen it was about the same story except for the fact that it lasted longer, and we had been much tamer in our almost daily chats. Nek is a student who has just finished his time at the University, and he was rather a shy and cautious guy. However after some words, I quickly discovered he too was not shy at all when it came to more intimate knowledge. Did he want to find a new experience and escape everyday life, did he hope some financial reward, I will never know but these non professional guys have always been much more willing and affectionate than their counterparts in the bars. We spent two nights together, the two nights I had booked in Khon Kaen. As we never had spoken about our sexual preferences, it took a little time to adjust as they did not really match, but kissing and stroking are universal ways or spending a good time.

Chilling out on Ubonrat dam

During the day we went with two of his friends (lesbian girls) to the Ubonrat area : a huge artificial lake which has some resorts where thai families love to come for chilling out. We had a long meal in one of the sheds which are built above the water in the middle of low mountains, and then we had a long walk along the dam. Nice atmosphere although the three had much more in common that I could have with the boy. I also gave him some help for "helping find a new job” before leaving ; I don't think I will see him again.

My hotel was a new one called The Boss Grand Tower, which is the only one close enough to the entertainment with affordable prices : 700 THB a night through Agoda - probably a promotion rate. However I was happy to leave Khon Kaen which is during the day a rather dull city ; it is another matter at night when the students gather in their pubs, U-Bar being the most popular now and deservedly so from what I could see.

Sight-seeing

My second day in Bangkok was just how I wanted it to be : walking in the Silom area, having a light meal in Dick’s Cafe and ending the night by a badly needed massage. Achieving the latest is not always an easy task : I remember having roamed around the area without finding the boy of my dreams and finally going home without entering any shop. It went better this time thanks to one of the four massage place in Soi Twilight - Marso Massage formerly Red Massage - and to one of their lads who happened to be good and really service-oriented.

Beauty is everywhere in Pattaya

I wanted to smell the atmosphere in Pattaya so I am there now for three days before going to isan. I spent the first evening with my boyfriend and treated him to a nice meal from my country, and especially the good bottle of wine which goes with it. So we went to Froggys near the bus station for Bangkok, and I was not disappointed. This time Tam was less positive, but I guess his recent and current health problems were the main reason.

The following evening was the usual Sunee Plaza sight-seeing tour on my own. After reading so much during eleven months about what has been going on, I am always excited to check by myself. The news from the boards are generally up-to-date but nothing can replace the personal feeling. Sure the place was rather quiet, but you could still have a good time there ; moreover the special village atmosphere which makes the place so attractive had not disappeared at all.

I have visited three gogo-bars so far : Nice Boys, Mic My Bar and Eros, all had their fair share of customers and boys. Sorry there were too many tatooed guys in Mic My Boy but I could meet an old acquaintance who is the mamasan (not the one who gets so much bad mouth here and there I think). Nice Boys was very lively but no-one to my taste when I went there. As for Eros, there were not many boys left so I did not visit the private boxes.

As for the beer bars, the advice to try Diamond Bar was a good one as the atmosphere here is very nice and the viewpoint valuable. They seem to do quite good and they even had more customers than the green chairs bar opposite. I also visited Samorn’s Bar but the boys did not seem really interested in new customers although some of them are obviously worth of a new visit - which I will do as soon as possible.

However the news that Threezone Bar has been taken over by two thais was a good one ; I just hope I will still be there on their opening day. Nostalgia, nostalgia ….

Welcome to Bangkok

Getting used to the QWERTY keyboard (and also with the new Blogger interface) was the hardest thing I had to face during the last 24 hours. As for thai food and beer and streets teeming with cuties, thank you, it’s something I can deal with.

I arrived very quickly at my hotel, having cleared the immigration in less than one minute - the clerks were definitely desperate for customers …. and I was soon joined by my boyfriend who had come back from Pattaya. He had a lot of problems during the last eleven months, including a bad eye sore which will force him to wear glasses, which this nice farang will helpfully pay for. Slimmer than ever, so we quickly went for a meal in our favorite restaurant in Saphan Kwai ; Rakhang Thong near Elisabeth Hotel is as good as ever, their tom yam is to die for but the fish tasted a little bit bland … not their fault as I had ordered “mai phet”, which they did literally.

We visited only two bars in Saphan Kwai, only to find that the boys were very scarce for a Sunday night, even in Charmming which is usually well staffed. I guess the students have gone back home for their holidays and helping papa mama harvesting the rice … or could it be another sign that less and less boys go work in the bars even in a thai for thai area ?


My boyfriend is now on the way back to Pattaya where I will meet him again to-morrow ; that leaves me with an evening on my own, so I guess a visit to Silom will be on the list. I would not mind a nice massage to help recovering from my trip … And to-morrow another bus will bring me to Pattaya for a three-days stay. Despite all the bad news we get here and there about the place, I guess this will be another great time to be had.

Race over

No more rain, please

Two hours and I will leave home ... and after a long travel will reach the place which has been my dream for the last 11 months.

No more rat race all day long, no more daily hassles, the rush is over at least for 28 days. The boys will be those I like, not like the overweight thugs that I met in the famous movie theater in Milano I ventured in last August.

And there will be many bars too choose from ... a nice change from the disappointment I felt when I saw that the Carousel Bar in Zurich - which was brimming with asian boys ten years ago and who still had some nice gipsy boys, was now a restaurant.

Not too much rain, no health trouble, and life will be good ...

Wondering

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

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

Closed ... where should I go now ?

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

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

... and counting !

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

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

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

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

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