Isaan Tour, grande finale

I finally escaped Yasothon and arrived safely in Kalasin after a quick bus change in Roi Et. Curiously enough, no minivan in this area but good old buses which provide more security and more space too. In Kalasin, I had reserved a room in Phaiboon Place, which is a good enough place for the price (550 THB) and mostly for its very convenient location close to the bus station.

Kalasin boy

Kalasin is said to produce some of the cutest boys and girls in Thailand (along with Phayao in the north). After a short stroll in town and to the local plaza, I would not dare contest it. Much more lively than Yasothon too, even if being there on a Saturday makes a difference. My planned encounter with a local lad met my expectations, except for the fact that the boy could not stay very long with me. So all my proposals to have a meal together were turned down and we immediately headed for the room where this 19 y/o country boy was really brilliant : once again I could not stop looking at his incredibly cute face after the deed was done. He had come from his place (30 km away) with a friend and had to go back soon, loaded with a nice if not huge tip.

On the road again on Sunday with a longer trip to Udon Thani, again on a minivan whose driver was cautious enough on the narrow roads through the rice fields. As no room was available in my usual Charoen Hotel, I had reserved for two nights in Kavinburi Hotel in the same area : new hotel, so well-equipped and welcoming but where everything is really small : room, bathroom, swimming pool.

My young student friend was already on his way when I arrived and he was soon knocking on the door. As he entered, he immediately closed the curtains and took off his clothes almost without one word : he too had very little time as the last bus to the University left only two hours after. We made the better of it, and he took some unusual initiatives probably knowing he had to pass this exam too so that he could get further financial rewards. He comes form a very poor family and does well enough at his studies, so I try to help him as much as I can - which is not a lot. Result : exam passed with distinction !

Friend in Udon Thani

He could not come with me on the following day (Monday), which I spent mostly at the swimming pool and walking in the streets. Atmosphere in the UD Town food area and market was as good as ever, and I knew that I could have found many other willing boys to share my bed if I had wanted so. Udon, a place to consider for a possible relocation to Thailand ?

I flew back to Bangkok with regrets but also some excitation as I had already made up my mind to meet my new-found sex machine again.

Isaan trip

Dark-skinned boy in Surin

Leaving Bangkok and arriving in the heart of isan is always a shock, especially when the destination is the Buriram airport, which has been built in the middle of nowhere 20 km north of the town.

I had planned to spend my first night in Isaan in the Surin town where I had never gone. But a 19 y/o boy that I had contacted on a Gay Surin Facebook group was in fact working in Satuk, Buriram province, just where the Buriram airport is located. So rather than spending seven hours on a bus (there is no flight to Surin), I had thought it would be a good idea to fly and see him directly in his place. What I had not forecast was the change of schedule by Nok Air which made me arrive at 17.00 in Satuk, so that the whole day was anyway wasted.

This boy had seduced me not so much by his money problems (debts, low wage, broken phone, you guess it), but by his good looks and easy-going attitude. Dark-skinned like everyone in this part of Isaan, he was as usual cuter in the flesh than on the pictures. He was woking part-time in the local Tesco-Lotus and badly needed money as he had no-one of the (few) benefits that regular workers may enjoy.

Unfortunately he was not in a good shape : cold temperature had taken its toll on him and he clearly had caught a cold. We had a meal on the bank of the river and then he went to bed with me, where things were quickly done, in a good enough way when compared to professionals... Tip rather high but I guess there are probably not many chances to sell this kind of services in these small towns.

He left for his work at 7 in the morning, and I could go on with my isan trip. Traveling here is quite easy as main towns are connected by frequent van services. My second stop was in Surin, where I had no appointment and spent my time walking the streets and enjoying the swimming pool. My hotel was the excellent Thong Tharin, right in the middle of the local nightlife ; fun here is 100 % lady-oriented, but I understand there is an all male massage shop in the eastern outskirts of town. Romeo did not provide anything and anyway I already had my fix of Surin boys

I had a nice impression of my two next stops which were in Si Saket and Amnat Charoen, both low-profile towns with a lively and friendly atmosphere. Amnat Charoen is basically a crossroad but the central place hosts a nice night market where all the local talents gather providing unlimited eye candy. No appointment there as well, I preferred to enjoy the atmosphere on my own.

Tacky

Now in Yasothon which some label as the most boring town in Isaan – and they are probably right : no department store in town, no decent night market, large streets lined by shops selling car batteries and motorbikes, and I had foolishly planned two days here ! By chance there is a very quiet internet shop near my hotel (RP City, big and clean rooms for 500 THB) and that is enough to keep me busy for some hours after having visited the Big Toad park which is the tacky symbol of the town (five floors and a nice viewpoint from inside the mouth).

Next two days will be busier with a young man available for everything in Kalasin and then my horny student in Udon Thani.

Local attractions

Still two days and I will board a plane which will lead me to Thailand for a 32nd trip ... Once again, it will be a one-month only stay - I would not dare call it a holiday as I am now retired and every day is holiday time ... At least if I forget all commitments that I still have in Farangland, the main one being taking care of my beloved mother.

Date arranged in ... isaan !

As usual most of my trip has been planned : hotels, transport, and even the "friends" I will meet. Does careful planning removes the charm of uncertainty ? Planning only means having lines on a map going from point A to point B on which day. And avoiding to be at the wrong place on the wrong day, for example arriving in Pattaya on the Chinese New Year's Day ... What will happen in A or in B remains to be seen.

However I had too many contacts on Facebook not to make some of them come true. And their locations built the frame for my oncoming trip - the only other requirement being to visit, even shortly, provinces that I never went to. And this gave a road trip that I am very excited to make : flight to Satuk in Buriram province to meet a dark-skinned clerk in the local department store, then one-night stands in Surin, Si Saket and Amnat Charoen. Yasothon is scheduled for two days which could be too much ... or not, but when on the road I like to sit down somewhere, if only to take care of the laundry !

It will then be a short jump to Kalasin that I went through many years ago promising to come again due to the cuteness of the local lads .. good idea, I should sample one of them who promised to come to my place for some fun (and of course other rewards). Final days in Udon Thani where I will meet my young friend of two years. Oops .. for those who never go out of Pattaya, perhaps I should make clear that all these beautiful (?) towns mentionned above are located in the North-East of Thailand ?

I will not forget Bangkok and Pattaya and also have some dates there ; seems to me there will be no need to go to any bar for finding company, but of course I will go. And if I have some time left, I finally could know a little bit more about a boy house in Ang Thong province which advertises on some Facebook groups. Not sure I will have the energy to visit.

High cuteness ratio in Udon Thani

I had not liked my former stay in Udon Thani, mainly because of the lack of places to meet boys. Things have changed now as I have joined the mobile internet side and the Facebook community. And Udon Thani is still a place where the cuteness ratio stands very high, you can see it as soon as you leave the airport. So this time was a great one, even without any boy in my bed during the three nights I spent there.

If the Nong Khai boys had disappeared, I had just made contact with a local boy just a few days before leaving to Thailand. Barely legal, but clearly very eager to meet, without even telling about money – although a financial reward is always part of the equation. A first appointment had been made for day one in the evening, but he cancelled it at the last minute, as his mother did not want him to go in Udon at night (he lives upcountry about one hour from the main town). Finally we agreed to meet at the bus station on the following day, and he showed up almost on time. But what I saw was definitely a young-looking and shy lad, so I decided to not even try to bring him to my room. He had come to town for buying school books, so we sat in front of Central Plaza waiting for the opening hour.

Nong Prajak Park in Udon Thani

We chatted a little, but he was much more reserved than on Facebook, and he proposed to go to Nong Prajak Park ; in a more private atmosphere, he unexpectedly told me he had a hard-on …speaking frankly, I too was in the same condition, but of course no way to do anything in the park. We then went back buying his books, he his a brilliant student despite a very poor background. I added an english conversation handbook as his skills in the matter were very limited, and of course paid the bill.

We were about to leave when he said : “I go to the toilets, do you come with me ?”. And here he was opening a cubicle inviting me to enter with him ! I never had anything in a public toilet, let alone with an angel-faced young guy … It did not last long, as I quickly realised that the situation could become very nasty if someone has heard or seen something. We had enough time to kiss, I sucked him in a rather awkward position, and he obviously wanted his ass to be taken care of … The naughty little devil finally understood the situation, and reluctantly opened the door in a luckily deserted restroom. But God I was happy not to be faint-hearted ! Future encounters in a more convenient place (ie. my room …) are already on the list, I will then be sure he is legal.

Kumphawapi cutie

An appointment with another boy was planned for the next day, but his relatives did not want him to go to Udon … too risky …. although he had already worked as a waiter in a Sri Racha night club (he is the guy I was due to meet in Chainat, but he has now gone back to his family in Udon Thani province). I was expecting everything, as the meeting place was the Tesco Lotus in Kumphawapi, another small town 40 km from Udon Thani. Waiting for him gave me a good opportunity to observe the local lifestyle, I was especially impressed by the number of farangs established in the area. Finally I saw him, astoundingly much cuter than in the pictures. No hanky-panky in the restroom, we only had a short chat but it was obvious he was interested in a future paid encounter, probably in Bangkok where he would like to work. We had not talked about sex on Facebook, but he was neither surprised nor offended when I asked him if he could do everything. And he was OK to have his picture in my blog …. a very cooperative young man indeed !

Finally little activity but two fantastic encounters with two incredibly cute boys, that I will obviously never forget and try to repeat as possible. And also a lot of eye-candy all over the place, for example in the UD Town food court, where many male students find a side job at night as waiters.

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.

Isaan fix

I had not planned to visit the northeast this time as my schedule was very tight and I wanted mostly recover from a long hard-working period. However there was this boy from Camfrog, and there was also the opportunity of a fast direct flight from Phuket with Air Asia (they offer three flights a week directly to either Ubon or Udon).

So after a short 3 days stay in Phuket, it was a sharp transition from an over touristy island to an almost farang-free Isaan. My first night was in Ubon Ratchathani which I had liked so much last October. This time I chose to stay in downtown Ubon in a simple thai hotel : Krung Thong Hotel (welcoming staff, 450 THB a night and with very clean rooms), whose main advantage is to be next door with the Black Beans Karaoke.

After an afternoon of shopping and strolling around the Thung Sri Muang park, I went straight to the bar. However contrary to my last year's visit, they had less boys, and these were not really interested in this poor lonely farang. I was not treated to detailed introductions of every boy like last year, but left alone sipping my beer. A pity as the boys seemed to be on the interesting side as far as looks were concerned. As for the other places in town, I could not visit "Famous Bar" ; the place was now called "G-Place", not knowing whether the "G" would stand for "Gay" or for "Girls", which obviously would change completely the interest of the place. Just one word to say that the other place is still open and well.

I was a little bit intimidated to think that I would meet in real life the Camfrog boy with whom I have been chatting for a long time. And when I saw him sitting on his moped in front of my hotel in Mahasarakham, it seemed to me that I had been knowing him for ages. Everything went well, we spent two days and two nights together and he was far from being the shy student I had pictured.

Faces in Mahasarakham

By the way Mahasarakham is a vibrant small city with many students, and a general good atmosphere. I staid in the high-end Taksila Hotel (Wasu Hotel was full) which has everything you could want from the best hotel in town (except a swimming pool) ; it is rather conveniently located close to the market and the bus station. Nevertheless I do not really feel at ease in these "Hi So" places - even when they come at only 1000 THB a night. Having a young-looking boy (aged 21) in tow did not help, although the staff was absolutely delightful.

Coming back to Bangkok was an eight hours chore with an unexpected bus change in Khorat, and the dreadful section from Saraburi to Morchit where there is absolutely nothing to see except traffic jams, countless trucks and soulless factories. It was huge relief to be back in Saphan Khwai. Alone, meaning : with the whole town for myself.

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.

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

Khorat

Cutie posing in front of Suranari Monument

One of the reasons why I love Thailand is that besides the Big Four (Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai), there are around ten towns where you can find gay venues with boys available. Khorat is one of them, besides being known as the gate to Northeast. And we all know what Isaan means for those who like cute, willing and dark-skinned young men.

I had not gone there since so long that Khorat was on my schedule this time. I went for only one night and I was not disappointed. Sure the bar I went was nothing to write home about but the atmosphere, the faces in the streets, and the three hours trip in itself was a real enjoyment.

The change of scene begins at Morchit : if the first floor (buses to the North, the East and Pattaya) is quite farang-friendly, the second floor (in fact the third one if you use the lift or the stairs) where you will find the departures to every nook and cranny in Isaan is an all-thai place with hardly one word not written in thai. And of course there is always the cute face of some young man entering your field of view. There is a bus to Khorat / Nakhon Ratchasima every 20 minutes or so, so you will not to wait for a long time. If the first part of the trip in the unending suburbs from Bangkok to Saraburi is quite boring, you will then enter the mountains with some nice views along a lake and in the ricefields.

I arrived in Khorat at about 2 pm, put up at the Sripattana Hotel (615 THB breakfeast included with swimming pool, which is probably one of the best deals in the whole Thailand) and then walked along the streets. I went to The Mall where everything is still really cheap and the boys come in droves after the end of the school ..... free eye candy for everyone.

The only bar I went to was the Buddy Boy which is an old host bar near the Ningnong crossroad - rather difficult to find, walking on Suranaree towards the railway station, shortly after an hospital on your right (Khorat Memorial Hospital) and facing the Osaka karaoke building, there is a small dark soi forking on the right - walk about 200 meters and you should see on your right a white sign mostly in thai at the entry of a 100 meter long alley between houses, walk along this alley and there you are. Buddy is a host bar and they had only two boys, one of them a soldier from Ubon ; not really my style but they were very nice to chat with : they told me two other guys use to come but they did not come to-day (it was on a Wednesday night), and also that they had quite often farang customers, mostly local expats. 100 THB/drink, off fee 300 THB.

I then used a tuk tuk and went walking along Ratchadamnoen Road and found street hustlers, some with nice faces but I really did not feel secure even after chatting with them (thai only). You should find them at about 11 o'clock near the outdoor games for children (more or less facing the Cathay Hotel).

There are other gay places in Khorat but I did not visit because I was unsure about them and especially their location (I had to look around the Buddy Boys during daytime to avoid wasting too much time finding it at night). A reader on Ting Tong webboard went to a new-opened karaoke next door to Sima Thani Hotel called "Handsome Boys", a poster on the Thai Male Massage Board had heard rumours about a newly-opened bar near the "Hua Rotfay" market, and the massage place called "Tantawan" seems to be still operating in the Phailin Square area (opposite Sima Thai Hotel).

Guess I have to go back ...