November 22, 2018
November 15, 2018
Impermanence
Soi Twilight to be closed, huge cranes everywhere in Greater Bangkok, new BTS lines opening soon ... Bangkok is constantly changing, for the best or for the worst. Difficult to believe that according to some scientists, the town will be flooded in thirty years or so : life goes on, BTS trains are jam-packed during the whole day, and cuties abound everywhere.
In my home far away from some, namely the Saphan Kwai area, street vendors who until now had run their business as usual, seem to slowly disappear from the pavement, probably chased away by the new policy. More and more shops have opened to replace them, as well as an open air food ground nearby. Good or bad ? Obviously good as long as the pathway upgrading works go on, but another blow to the traditional Bangkok atmosphere.
Even in my hotel, a full renovation has begun, leaving me taken aback when I discovered it when coming back from to the local internet shop. Fortunately it seems that I won't have to find a new accommodation, even if it means a small price hike which would be justified. I have fallen in love with the place almost twenty years ago and would not have liked to change : the place was more and more showing its age, but still remains one of the best-kept secrets in Bangkok.
Although staying in Saphan Kwai, I did not visit the local bars a lot. I had a bad experience in Street Boy where they served me a drink I had not ordered, and older bars mostly did not try to drag me inside ... what a change from Soi Twilight ! However I found some nice faces when glancing at the boys sitting outside D-Door et Heaven ; as both are karaokes, I am always reluctant to enter when I am alone and not touted inside.
I went most evenings to Silom area, but did not visit the usual gogo-bars because of their unappealing shows and their outrageous prices. So I often parked myself in Maxxis which is a great observation point to look a the hustle and bustle in the soi .. should soi Twilight close, I will miss such a place as much as I already miss Dicks'Café.
Soi 4 offers the same kind of activity but with a different atmosphere : more fun, more people, but without this erotic feeling that can be felt in Twilight. I did not like too much Balcony, especially when the waiter brought me a chicken with cashew nuts when I had ordered chicken with lemon sauce.. and he had the nerve to change the bill without a word after having brought the wrong meal ... I did not realise immediately the mistake, so could not refuse to pay the extra 40 THB but of course did not left any tip and went out with a long face.
Finally I went to the Grand Palace area to check the boys on offer : they are really not a lot any more and gather along Klong Lot, in the area where City Walk bar is located. Some nice faces again that I did not sample as I had just fallen down just after exiting the taxi and looked more like a defeated thai boxer than a decent potential customer.
This put an unexpected end to my thai adventures; I just hope next trip will be better !
In my home far away from some, namely the Saphan Kwai area, street vendors who until now had run their business as usual, seem to slowly disappear from the pavement, probably chased away by the new policy. More and more shops have opened to replace them, as well as an open air food ground nearby. Good or bad ? Obviously good as long as the pathway upgrading works go on, but another blow to the traditional Bangkok atmosphere.
Even in my hotel, a full renovation has begun, leaving me taken aback when I discovered it when coming back from to the local internet shop. Fortunately it seems that I won't have to find a new accommodation, even if it means a small price hike which would be justified. I have fallen in love with the place almost twenty years ago and would not have liked to change : the place was more and more showing its age, but still remains one of the best-kept secrets in Bangkok.
Although staying in Saphan Kwai, I did not visit the local bars a lot. I had a bad experience in Street Boy where they served me a drink I had not ordered, and older bars mostly did not try to drag me inside ... what a change from Soi Twilight ! However I found some nice faces when glancing at the boys sitting outside D-Door et Heaven ; as both are karaokes, I am always reluctant to enter when I am alone and not touted inside.
I went most evenings to Silom area, but did not visit the usual gogo-bars because of their unappealing shows and their outrageous prices. So I often parked myself in Maxxis which is a great observation point to look a the hustle and bustle in the soi .. should soi Twilight close, I will miss such a place as much as I already miss Dicks'Café.
 |
| Boy in the dark |
Finally I went to the Grand Palace area to check the boys on offer : they are really not a lot any more and gather along Klong Lot, in the area where City Walk bar is located. Some nice faces again that I did not sample as I had just fallen down just after exiting the taxi and looked more like a defeated thai boxer than a decent potential customer.
This put an unexpected end to my thai adventures; I just hope next trip will be better !
November 11, 2018
Pattaya routine
A routine is a sequence of actions regularly followed .. this does not mean it has to be boring. And God it is not boring at all staying in Pattaya on 12 consecutive days, which had not happened to me since seven years. In fact here I was in the morning shaving and telling myself : "It is so nice to be here" ... exactly the same words as those I utter when shaving in Bangkok or Lamphun or everywhere else in the area !
So the routine in Pattaya has mostly been : morning sunbathing at the hotel roof pool, breakfast at noon, and then going to Jomthian Beach to watch the world go by. As for evenings, I stuck mostly to "Salt and Pepper" for dinner, where the food is consistently tasty (although not spectacular) and cheap, and the atmosphere quiet and easy-going. After this comes the highlight of the day : visits to the bars in Sunee Plaza, Boyztown or Jomtien. Quite usual schedule for most of us I guess, which of course can vary a lot depending on the weather and the mood ..
I found Pattaya much nicer than last March, mostly because of a much lighter traffic and generally less people on the streets. Some nice weather at least during the first days was a big plus, and then more rain meant I could rest in the room. Or receive once again this enchanting Saek from Udon Thani (see post above in June) ... BTW he is OK that I give his Facebook to interested men, but he will not accept anyone and wants someone who can speak enough thai ; please PM for more.
What I liked less was the further tightening of the rules at the beach : the powers-that-be have still increased the free area, so that chair concessions have to even more squeeze the customers ; I wonder how this will look like during high season when you will not have any space if only to lay your things. Worrying, as let's face it : what to do in Pattaya in the afternoon if there is no more fun going to the beach ?
I spent again many days with my young sex-driven friend who now does not want to be called "Noo" any more ; two or three days with him are enough to let me exhausted and wanting some quietness, only to crave for new encounters after three or four days alone. I made the mandatory trip to Ko Larn with him, which was a little disappointing due to chinese tour groups having now discovered Thian Beach, a rather quiet place until now. I am absolutely sure that the decreasing numbers of farang visiting Pattaya has a lot to do with these noisy visitors, who have destroyed what remained of the quietness we could still enjoy before this plague. And the few cuties in the group did not make up for the nuisance for sure !
"Noo" also tried to work in the Jomtien Complex bars. He had an "off" on the first day (by a man who takes any new boy turning up in the Complex) and on the second day he had taken care of another farang until 6.am in another bar, without any "tip" from the guy. He will not repeat the experience and is now looking for another job.
When on my own, I did not visit many gogo-bars ; "Nice Boys" was of course on my list, as well as Winner (too many fem boys for me, but a great atmosphere), Power Boys (limited choice), Cupidol (pleasant atmosphere) and Kawai where I would have happily taken a dark-skinned tall boy (n° 11) back home, had I not already been the victim of "Noo"'s appetite in the morning.
For the first time since very long ago, I left a bar without leaving any tip in the folder. In one of the few beer bars in Soi Sunee, two cuties had appeared but never showed any interest despite my insistent looks. And for good reason : they were chatting with the two other boys, turning their backs and never looking at me. But when another customer showed up, they were all over him within one minute ... I did not finish my Chang beer and immediately left in a huff. Message received, boys ?
But be sure I will come back to Pattaya !
So the routine in Pattaya has mostly been : morning sunbathing at the hotel roof pool, breakfast at noon, and then going to Jomthian Beach to watch the world go by. As for evenings, I stuck mostly to "Salt and Pepper" for dinner, where the food is consistently tasty (although not spectacular) and cheap, and the atmosphere quiet and easy-going. After this comes the highlight of the day : visits to the bars in Sunee Plaza, Boyztown or Jomtien. Quite usual schedule for most of us I guess, which of course can vary a lot depending on the weather and the mood ..
I found Pattaya much nicer than last March, mostly because of a much lighter traffic and generally less people on the streets. Some nice weather at least during the first days was a big plus, and then more rain meant I could rest in the room. Or receive once again this enchanting Saek from Udon Thani (see post above in June) ... BTW he is OK that I give his Facebook to interested men, but he will not accept anyone and wants someone who can speak enough thai ; please PM for more.
What I liked less was the further tightening of the rules at the beach : the powers-that-be have still increased the free area, so that chair concessions have to even more squeeze the customers ; I wonder how this will look like during high season when you will not have any space if only to lay your things. Worrying, as let's face it : what to do in Pattaya in the afternoon if there is no more fun going to the beach ?
 |
| Afternoon routine in Pattaya : Jomthian gay beach |
I spent again many days with my young sex-driven friend who now does not want to be called "Noo" any more ; two or three days with him are enough to let me exhausted and wanting some quietness, only to crave for new encounters after three or four days alone. I made the mandatory trip to Ko Larn with him, which was a little disappointing due to chinese tour groups having now discovered Thian Beach, a rather quiet place until now. I am absolutely sure that the decreasing numbers of farang visiting Pattaya has a lot to do with these noisy visitors, who have destroyed what remained of the quietness we could still enjoy before this plague. And the few cuties in the group did not make up for the nuisance for sure !
"Noo" also tried to work in the Jomtien Complex bars. He had an "off" on the first day (by a man who takes any new boy turning up in the Complex) and on the second day he had taken care of another farang until 6.am in another bar, without any "tip" from the guy. He will not repeat the experience and is now looking for another job.
When on my own, I did not visit many gogo-bars ; "Nice Boys" was of course on my list, as well as Winner (too many fem boys for me, but a great atmosphere), Power Boys (limited choice), Cupidol (pleasant atmosphere) and Kawai where I would have happily taken a dark-skinned tall boy (n° 11) back home, had I not already been the victim of "Noo"'s appetite in the morning.
For the first time since very long ago, I left a bar without leaving any tip in the folder. In one of the few beer bars in Soi Sunee, two cuties had appeared but never showed any interest despite my insistent looks. And for good reason : they were chatting with the two other boys, turning their backs and never looking at me. But when another customer showed up, they were all over him within one minute ... I did not finish my Chang beer and immediately left in a huff. Message received, boys ?
But be sure I will come back to Pattaya !
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