ChristianPFC - Adventures in Thailand: January 2015

Thung Sri Muang ทุ่งศรีเมือง was mentioned on the internet but there were no people around when I went (Fri 23.01.2015 22:55-23:10). Anyway it’s a field and not a park, a vast empty area for festivals/markets with trees only on the perimeter. The northern part (with City pillar shrine and other buildings) is called park, but not many trees either. Gays I met at the railway station said best time to go there would be 6-7 pm.

Nong Prajak lake and park (park on the peninsula open 4-20), walk around the lake (Fri 23.01.2015 23:20-00:10) and spot about 20 people, nothing interesting going on.

Railway stations are always a good bet (personal experience in other provinces, at least there were available ladies). I arrive 1 am, a few people sleeping, nothing interesting. I am about to go home and count this as complete failure (nothing for me in sauna, walk around town for 3 hours, find out that Boyzone isn’t in Phonpisai 118/5 any more, no activity in Thung Sri Muang, Nong Pra Jak and railway station), when I notice two men about 50 year old and two boys about 20 year old coming in. They sit down and it looks like one boy is giving the other boy a blowjob. Then the boys get up and go behind (or in?) an empty parked train. I say hello to one of the men and we quickly get to the point: they are gay, and the two boys are having sex in the train! Why not in a room? It’s more romantic!

One man speaks good English, so we converse in English and he translates. Nothing gained from being able to understand most of their conversation, but one day understanding more Thai than I admit will give me and advantage. They say best time is around 9 pm, and they (the men I was talking with) come here most nights. Boys can go for 200-300 Baht, but they are no good (sniff glue).

Saturday 24.01.2015 Go to railway station, 19:50-20:15 only regular passengers. Then go again 22:30-23:15 with new Farang friend H from UD sauna, the two men and the boy are there again, but no available boys (they say the boys just left, and indeed when I came there were two boys just leaving). Merits further research, but without much hope.

Back in Bangkok, Monday 26.01.2015 night chat with another customer in Soi Twilight, and she was in Udon Thani and offered an arbitrary mocy or tuktuk driver 100 Baht if he could bring her a boy to her taste. The first batch of 3 were not, but there was one in the second batch whom she paid 500 Baht for sexual services.

Friday, 30 January 2015

Wat Po Chai Si in Udon Thani province

Wat Po Chai Si (Wat Luang Po Nak) in Udon Thani province

วัดโพธิ์ชัยศรี (วัดหลวงพ่อนาค)
บ้าน แวง ตำบล บ้านผือ อำเภอ บ้านผือ จังหวัด อุดรธานี

Location:
17°40'43.6"N 102°25'41.0"E 17.678787, 102.428063
50 km by air or by 62 km by road north-west of Udon Thani bus station. 4.7 km west of Baan Phu บ้านผือ (intersection of hwy 2021, 2098, 2348).

Friday 22.01.2015
Walk to central bus station, but there are no buses to Baan Pue from this bus station. Take tuktuk 70 Baht 8:48-9:00 to Rangsina market ตลาดรังษิณา. Take van line 581 80 Baht 9:03-9:53 to Baan Pue. Walk and hitchhike (with a monk on a tuktuk, I offered to pay when we arrived, but he said it was free) to the wat, arrive 10:38.

First building you spot is Ruan Kaew Phra Upakud เรือนแก้วพระอุปคุต.

This must be the ubosot, but I couldn't find sema stones:

Buddha statue in another building:

They are constructing a large sitting Buddha statue, but I wonder how they are going to lift the head to put in on the body.

But the reason why I went to this wat is the Buddhist hell garden:

Return to Baan Phue first walking, then being offered a free lift by an icecream mocy.

Copyright 2015 ChristianPFC

Thursday, 29 January 2015

Welcome UD gay disco in Udon Thani

Welcome UD gay disco in Udon Thani เวลคัม ยูดี ผับ อุดรธานี

Under same management as Welcome Pub Sukhumvit Soi 71, which I went to about a week before.

Location (not clearly identified, might be 50 m wrong):
17°24'55.1"N 102°47'53.1"E 17.415300, 102.798092
Pracha Uthit road number 136 ถนนประชาอุทิศ 136

Walk with H from railway station, about 30 minutes. Pass Tawan Daeng Udon Thani and and elephant (the two handlers are cute and immediately ask if we would like to buy food for the elephant).

The streetfront of the disco is not illuminated, entrance on the side via a shop.

We arrive 00:15. Small bottle of Leo 120 Baht (actually I ordered water, there must have been a confusion, but I don't complain). The disco is busy, many boys early 20s and a lot of girls as well. Music too loud.

Go to toilet (more for checking out other customers than to pee). A drunken boy hugs me and shoves his hand into my trousers (front). It takes me a minute two wrestle out of his grip. Does that give me street cred or does it make me look like a slut, standing in the toilet with a boy's hand in my trousers, rummaging around my genitals? When I touch his jacked outside it's hot and dry, but when I slip hand between jacked and T-shirt, it's wet from sweat.

Suddenly 00:48 lights on and music off. H inquires, something with police. That suits me well, I didn't want to stay until closing time, but closing time is when it gets interesting.

I spotted some cute boys, but failed to make the right moves (I could blame it on early closing, but even if I had stayed longer I probably would have waited too long) in the bar or when they leave. But H hooked up with a boy. The boy's friends will go to Tawan Daeng and he will go with H. The boy has a mocy, but is too drunk to drive. So H drives us three back to his hotel (which is around the corner from my hotel).

Copyright 2015 ChristianPFC

Wednesday, 28 January 2015

Wat Si That Pramancha (Wat Pa Meow) in Udon Thani province

Wat Si That Pramancha (Wat Pa Meow) in Udon Thani province

วัดศรีธาตุประมัญชา (ป่าแมว)
ตำบล จำปี อำเภอ ศรีธาตุ จังหวัด อุดรธานี

Location:
16°57'52.1"N 103°11'12.2"E 16.964472, 103.186722
64 km by air or 72 km by road south-east of Udon Thani bus station, 2 km south of hwy 2023.

Sunday, 25.01.2015
Bus 4381 (to Wang Sam Mor วังสามหมอ) from central bus station (every 30 min, some normal, some aircon) to Si That ศรีธาตุ for 45 Baht, 11:18-12:54. From there tuk-tuk return and one hour wait 300 Baht (distance about 7 km, a bit expensive in hindsight, should have negotiated). Go 12:56-13:12, return 14:02-18.

Tuesday, 27 January 2015

UD sauna Udon Thani ยูดีซาวน่า อุดรธานี

No address or detailed directions on the internet:

http://www.gthai.net/udsauna/

https://www.facebook.com/ud.sauna.3

http://www.esanguide.com/nightlife/detail.php?id=5744

After erring around I finally called and asked for the way. From UD Town Mc Donald's across the road, enter the soi next to blue sign “Baby Best Buy เบบี่ เบสท์ บาย”, past Surada guesthouse สุรคา เกสท์เฮาส์ and a massage place. There is no sign for the sauna and the entrance is dimly lit (bottom left in picture, picture taken from inside the soi, camera pointing north-west). House number 4665.

Location:

17°23'50.8"N 102°48'18.7"E 17.397431, 102.805202

80 m south of Pho Si road ถนนโพศรี and 30 m west of the railway line.

Entry 129 Baht. No theme days. Underwear from Silom (?) for sale for 200 Baht.

Layout:

1^st floor (ground floor) reception, locker, lounge, gym, porn room, steam room (only light through glass door), open shower, free water with re-usable plastic cups

2^nd floor private and group rooms, smoking room and library (magazines).

White porn was played when I was there. Flimsy towel on both visits. All customers in underwear (style ok), some with towel tucked in. You can see the railway line from 2^nd floor rooms. Water in the shower is cold (really cold in winter!). The whole place is overly decorated without style. Staff says sauna is busiest Sat and Sun 5 to 11 pm.

Friday 23.01.2015

Arrive 20:10. More than 10 customers (for the pedants: that could mean there were 100 customers, but I mean "clearly but barely more than 10", less than "about 15"). Steam room luke warm. Some activity in steam room, but with light only through glass door I can’t see who is touching me, so I don’t participate. Upon leaving 21:15, I get a voucher for 79 Baht entry on my next visit.

Saturday 24.01.2015

The voucher is only valid for Mon-Fri, but receptionist lets me in for 100 Baht. Arrive 21:00. There are about 20 other customers, among them one other Farang H. He asks me if I have been there yesterday, other customers told him about another Farang the day before. H is chatty, so we talk, and up to five boys use this chance to molest me (when alone in a sauna, I am always on the move, but now standing and chatting with H). Activities in the group room, but too dark, anyway I didn’t see anyone attractive before. I leave 22:10 with H (to have a look at railway station and go to gay disco Welcome UD together).

Verdict: cleanliness and maintenance ok, but customer base (average bodies in their thirties) not my type.

Monday, 26 January 2015

Oh my god! (17) Homemade Fleshlight

Oh my god! (17) Homemade Fleshlight

Update 19sep2017: edited to comply with adsense

Some Thai friends came to see me in my room, and played facebook and youtube on my computer. This video is worth sharing: จิ๋มเทียม ทำเอง (home-made fake p...y)! from https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=311789645648742

Thai language note. Have fun! หนุกหนาน! nùk-năan is short for สนุกสนาน sà-nùk-sà-năan. Similar สวัสดี sà-wàt-dee is abbreviated หวัดดี wàt-dee. The first letter ส is replaced by ห in writing (but not pronounced) to retain the tone. (Will add further examples if I find some.)

Amusing pictures from the comments to that thread:

Translation? (google translate doens't make much sense)

กูไม่ไก้วาดนี่ลายมึง!! มึงเอายางลบมาลบให้กูเลยนะ
I did not draw this (untranslatable). Bring a rubber eraser and remove it!

A Thai friend had an industrial m.......ion aid like a Fleshlight. The only time I saw one from close. The interesting part is that it v....tes and you can select how it v....tes. Might get one some time.

Update:
18 More Ways To DIY A Fleshlight Than The World Ever Asked For
https://www.buzzfeed.com/alisoncaporimo/sponges-are-sexy?utm_term=.pw1ylgA1oN#.seJ6dGwLz7

No copyright claimed 2015 ChristianPFC

Sunday, 25 January 2015

"Made by Legacy" flea market near Hua Lampong

"Made by Legacy" flea market near Hua Lampong

Location:
State Railway of Thailand, 1 km north of Hua Lampong Railway station
13°44'53.4"N 100°31'02.2"E 13.748178, 100.517281

Free shuttle from Hua Lampong railway station about every 10 minutes, but you can easily walk if you don't want to wait, the walk is between canal and railway tracks, and you will see railway repair workshops, material storage and waste dump.

From the flyer: 10-11 Jan 2015, Sat & Sun, 3 pm - midnight. What is missing is entry price: 100 Bath.

I learnt of this event by chance, seeing the free shuttle bus. After the event, I saw an article in BK magazine print edition, online here: http://bk.asia-city.com/events/news/made-legacy-flea-market-v. Judging by their website http://madebylegacy.com/, the V means 5, the 5th time this market is being held.

Flea market is a misnomer, it's vintage and collectibles, and some new stuff and food and drink. Visitors where mid-class to hi-so, I felt out of place.

Copyright 2015 ChristianPFC

Saturday, 24 January 2015

Penang visa run

Penang visa run

This post is about traveling from Hat Yai to Penang, getting visa at Thai Consulate in Penang, and traveling back to Hat Yai by van. Getting a single entry tourist visa in Penang is a straightforward process. When entering Thailand, you have to show 20,000 Baht.

Saturday 03.01.2015

Ask in 4 travel agencies in Hat Yai, cost for van to Penang is 400, 450 (twice, near bus station) or 650 Baht (near railway station). The 650 Baht justified the high price with “bus station not sure”, i.e. the travel agency at bus station might take me to Penang or not, probably they would have told me any lie to make me book their tour. They all have the same departure times: 9, 12, 15:30, 16:30 (time posted at travel agencies varies +-30 minutes, but then you have pick up at hotel or meet at travel agency 30 minutes before departure), but no prices posted. I book the 400 Baht tour, scheduled 9 am.

Exchange money in Hat Yai, I get 1 MYR for 9.4 THB (same time on xe.com: 9.376).

Sunday 04.01.2015

(all times Thai time, for Malay time add 1 h)

Wait at travel agency for van, 9:20 bording, 9:28-42 wait in standing van, 9:42 departure. 10:47 Reach border crossing (Sadao Dannok สะเดา ด่านนอก the more popular one, there is another one Sadao Padang Besar สะเดา ปาดังเบซาร์ where the railway crosses). The driver asks each passenger for 10 Baht (it remains unclear for what, but seems to be legitimate).

Car and passengers pass Thai immigration separately, and afterwards I cannot see other passengers or car and am not sure where to meet, so I walk to Malay immigration (about 500 m). But there were no other people around, so I walk back, to find car and other passengers waiting for me near Thai immigration.

Drive to Malay immigration, arrive 11:22. There are signs: no pornographic items and no clothes with cannabis leaf prints allowed (these are quite popular in Thailand). 11:40 continue. Malay immigration is a nice change from Lao and Cambodia (where I have to through the humiliation of applying for a visa and paying for it): just a stamp and you are in (as a German).

A stop by police and for refueling on the way. 13:50 arrive at ferry port, 14:10 on ferry, 14:15 departure, 14:33 arrive in ferry port. 11:40 we are just 200 m off Chulia street (from street signs and map), I should have gotten off here. After extensive driving around (a free tour if you see it that way, but I didn’t know if the driver understood that I want to get off at Chulia street and didn’t know if we would get back there) get off in Chulia street 15:35.

Exchange money in Chulia street: pay 10 THB for 1 MYR (xe.com: 9.372), I should have exchanged all money in Hat Yai.

Monday 05.01.2015 (all times Malay time)

Two passport copies A4 black and white for 0.40 MYR in 7/11 (somewhere I read a sign normal copies 0.10 MYR, passport copies 0.20 MYR, are they trying to take advantage of visa runners?). Take bus 101 1.40 MYR (NO CHANGE IS GIVEN) from near Chulia street 9:10, get off at Thai temple 9:24, walk to Thai consul 9:44.

There are many people, I queue and learn later 10:05 that you get the visa application from the same window where you hand in the application (that’s what the people were queuing for) without queuing (just walk to the window like queue jumping). There is some staff around (no uniform, could be touts, but they don’t ask for money or offer short-cuts) and free drinking water. The waiting area is outside, but has a roof. With the application form, you get a receipt with a queue number in big black felt pen, mine is 205.

I overheard a conversation: A German man was there with a woman from El Salvador, and they were on a cruise that would leave for Thailand the following day and they need a visa for the woman. Staff at the cruise messed it up. Instead of a day of sightseeing in Georgetown they had to spend the day at the consulate to get a visa! One of the staff gave them a receipt with a low queue number, it seems in special cases like this one day processing is still possible.

After getting application form, I had to wait to get a free table to fill it out. No glue or pen provided, bring your own! You can glue, staple or paperclip your passport pictures to the application form; there is a field for one picture, but two are required. Queue to hand in application form and pay 110 MYR, leave 10:45. There were up to 50 others. Outside is a car that offers passport pictures, photocopies and flight booking.

Tuesday 06.01.2015 (all times Malay time)

Bus 101 1.40 MYR from Komtar 14:06 to Thai temple 14:19, walk to Thai consul 14:39. Less than 10 people, get passport with visa back, out 14:42. Buy ticket for van to Hat Yai 35 MYR at guesthouse, scheduled departure 8:30. All travel agencies have the same departure times: 5, 8:30, 12, 15 (+- 30 minutes) and same price 35 MYR.

Wednesday 07.01.2015 (all times Malay time)

8:31 departure, we are just 6 passengers in the van (I rarely ride in a van in Thailand that is not full). 9:00 cross bridge. A stop for toilet and shopping 10:53-11:15, the driver collects all passengers’ passports and we get them back with Thailand arrival cards that have our details printed on them.

11:20-25 processing at Malay immigration. Van waits at parking behind immigration building.

11:30-55 processing at Thai immigration. Officer at Thai immigration wants to see 20,000 Baht as proof that I can support myself (in her words “show money”). This is a rule that applies to everyone entering Thailand as a tourist, but is usually not enforced, except for this border crossing. She then browses through my passport and asks what I do in Thailand. I truthfully reply that I live in Bangkok and travel all over Thailand. The mood is unfriendly (not “Welcome back, Sir”, but “What illegal activities are you up to under the guise of being a tourist?”). I get a stamp "TR" in "visa class", before this was always done by handwriting.

Wait at the van for other passengers, the other White passenger comes and picks up his luggage. We continue the ride without him, later the driver tells us he didn’t have 20,000 Baht to show at immigration.

A friend said in such a case Malay immigration cancels the exit stamp and you can stay in Malaysia the remaining days from your previous visa. This is because for crossing at a land border, an exit stamp from the country you come from would be required.

12:16 arrive at Hat Yai train station (after driving around in Hat Yai for about half an hour to let other passengers out at their point of choice).