Pattaya 30.8.-1.9.2016

Pattaya 30.8.-1.9.2016

30.08.2016 Tuesday Bangkok to Pattaya

Wank to porn in the morning. While preparing for my trip to Pattaya, an old friend Ohm Lopburi messages me: he lost his wallet and wants to come to see me (so I can help him). This is a good boy and I’m sure the emergency is real, so I invite him. Should have left it at giving him 500 Baht and telling him I’m busy preparing for Pattaya, but a hug leads to a grope leads to bed. So-so, but give him 1000 Baht. Cum twice already, not a good start for a trip to Pattaya.

Bangkok to Pattaya by public transport (see here for a full overview of options: http://christianpfc.blogspot.de/2014/10/public-transport-between-bangkok-and.html and for a good article on vans between Victory Monument and Pattaya see here http://www.desiyatri.com/2014/02/pattaya-van-to-and-from-victory.html) Bus 74 from Bon Gai (Rama 4 road) to Victory Monument 14:01-43 for 9 Baht. Buy ticket 14:51 for van 100 Baht at van station South-East of Victory Monument (after asking how long till departure: 10 minutes – this is important, if I get reply 30 min or 1 hour (!!!) I try another van station). Departure 14:58. Stop for petrol 16:34-17:14, that’s 40 minutes! Usually it takes 10 minutes – still unacceptable to let all passengers wait 10 minutes, and it happens every time – this time queues at the petrol station. Arrive at Tuk-Com 18:34. Considering it can take a while to get to Victory Monument, and it's the opposite direction than Pattaya from Silom/Sathorn/Sukhumvit, I might try bus to Bangna and van from there next time. (Update: vans move from Victory Monument to other stations anyway: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1103028/interprovincial-vans-to-move-from-victory-monument-oct-25)

Meet a reader D at Panorama 19:00-58, then barhopping together.

Eros 20:18-21:08. Orange juice 100 Baht (no pineapple juice available). 8 boys in shorts with underwear underneath, bare feet. Music, temperature, light ok. Number increases to about 15 boys, some of which I would take for free. About 10 customers during our stay.

Pass show at Ting Tong Red 21:10.

Nice boys 21:12-22:38. Hot tea 150 Baht. 14 boys in shorts or briefs, all wearing street shoes. Fan blowing (I don’t like air draft), music ok, light so-so. The cute boy #10 whom I saw 3 weeks before and wanted to take today is not there any more, #10 assigned to another boy. There is a cute waiter New from Bangkok who tells me in good English that he has been working there for a long time, 1 year as gogo boy and 3 years as waiter, how comes I did’t notice him before? I’m very tempted. About 5 Chinese (?) enter and after some negotiations with staff directly off a boy. I go for #49 (whom I remember from my last visit), off fee of 500 Baht is a surprise. (Nov2014 I paid 400: http://christianpfc.blogspot.de/2014/11/pattaya-11-13112014.html).

#49, Don from Yala, 19 y.o., has been working there for 3 or 4 weeks. Little English, all our conversation in Thai. A hint of cigarette smoking when kissing. Cooperative, but not enough initiative in bed. Recommended, but not good enough for me to take him again.

Around 00:40 Sunee Plaza still busy. One boy shirtless at pool, great body!

Walk to Walking Street, BBQ chicken 30 Baht. (After prize rise or just overcharging in 2015 and 2016: http://christianpfc.blogspot.de/2014/05/grilled-chicken-heart-and-liver.html)

At Bali Hai pier, spot a cute boy with friends. His friends chat me up and ask me if I would like to take him with me. I don’t react on that offer, but chat with the boy and exchange Line and ask next day if he likes boys or girls: girls. That was quick, no waste of time.

31.8.2016 Wednesday

Daytime visit a friend who lives south of Pattaya and go for sightseeing together.

Dinner with D at Oscar’s 19:25-21:55. BoysBoysBoys parade 21:04-09, 4 worth a second look, but does not entice me to enter the bar.

Message my new favorite boy in Pattaya, Lay from Cambodia. He is in Cambodia, otherwise I would have invited him to stay over night.

Not in the mood for gogo bar (I go only to take a boy, but not horny today), I join another friend C who likes to watch the show at The Venue has been trying to convince me to join him for a long time.

The Venue 22:18-23:32, orange juice 150 Baht. While I can see the attraction (C goes many times per year), it’s not for me.

Stroll through Jomtien Complex and spot some old acquaintances, of which Kit from Cambodia (we met first some years ago when he was working in Wild West Boys) is worth meeting again, get his new Line and tell him we can meet tomorrow moring.

1.9.2016 Thursday

Message Kit in the morning (from getting up at 10 until checking out at 12 I have a 2 hour window): messages only read in the afternoon, he wrote he was sleeping all days.

Due to unfavorable circumstances only one boy this trip. 

Large numbers of Chinese tourists, spotted many cute boys. Will use gay dating app (recommendations?) popular with Chinese next time I go to Pattaya.

Copyright 2016 ChristianPFC

Hua Lampong railway station 2016

Hua Lampong railway station 2016

A collection of random observation at Hua Lampong railway station in 2016. 

Thai Railway Museum
The Thai Railway foundation opened a museum (free entry, open 10-18 Tue-Sat except holiday) in the railway station building:

 

A collection of old tickets, descriptions can be found here: http://www.railway.co.th/home/viewcontent.aspx?id=railway-bus-ticket&lang=EN
and details how the price for a ticket is calculated here:
http://www.railway.co.th/home/viewcontent.aspx?ID=railway-fee&lang=EN
 

Update 7nov2016: see here as well
http://www.thailandtrains.com/thai-railway-museum-at-bangkok-train-station/

Alcohol-drop boxes
After alcohol ban on trains in 2015, now they installed boxes "Alcohol-drop here". 

Ticket office for foreigners
Air-conditioned, take a queue number (although there are usually only few customers), seats, English speaking staff. (Has been open since at least Oct 2015, my earliest picture.)
 

New map of railway system
Such map is in all railway stations as far as I could see, but not available for free or for pay, and I didn't find it on the internet. It has distances to all major points and some planned railway lines are drawn.

New paint
The entire railway station got a new paint outside, but if I hadn't seen the scaffolding and painters I would not have noticed.

No more bomb shelter in front of station
I learnt (exhibition in Philatelic Museum Saphan Kwai) that there used to be a bomb shelter in front of Hua Lampong railway station. 

It's gone now and a fountain is in its place. (In Dusit Zoo, you can still see a bomb shelter from WWII).

 
Aircon in waiting hall ?

On 7sep2016, I noticed it was cooler than usual in the railway station, and my only explanation is that they installed aircons, with the air outlets above 2nd floor:

However checking older pictures, these air outlets have been there before.

Language note: Hua Lampong หัวลำโพง hŭa lam-pohng; "lampong" alone means "loudspeaker".

Copyright 2016 ChristianPFC

Bruce’s Pearls of Wisdom

Bruce’s Pearls of Wisdom

I have shared this in similar form in Bruce's now extinct forum gaysexthailand about a year ago.

My good friend Bruce has said some very interesting things, some of I wish I had said, others are thought-provoking, others the opposite of what I’m doing but work for Bruce. Most of it has been posted before, but I consider all of it worth posting again, here as a collection.

Bruce on cultural differences:

If your boyfriend asks you: “Would you like to go to cinema?”,
he means: “I want to go to cinema!”

Bruce on buying a business for his boyfriend:

http://sawatdeenetwork.com/forum/love-business-t34375-6.html

If you simply want to "help" your boyfriend "build a better future".... Do what I do.

First, teach him that running his own business will be the hardest most difficult job he's ever had.

Second, it will be a cold day in hell before I invest a in a business for him.... until *after* he has successfully worked his way up through every position in that type of business.... and remained at the top level, running it successfully, for a minimum of 3 years. Altogether, that would probably take 5 to 10 years. Otherwise, how do I (and how does *he*) know that he can do it....?

I tell him, if we want to just throw money away.... Let's take a cruise and throw all of our money into the middle of the ocean..... Or let's start a big fire and burn all of our money. Same same as starting a business that will fail.

If he can't hold down a restaurant job, and work his way up to number one manager, while making the place more profitable..... then we're all out of our minds to think he can run his own restaurant. This same principle applies to any type of business.
 

"If a bank won't lend you the money, why should I? If you can get a bank to lend you the money, then I will. (but then you won't need me to)"

Bruce on love and money:

http://sawatdeenetwork.com/forum/alternatives-western-union-t34562-135.html

Once, over breakfast, I asked my first Thai boyfriend... "How much do you love me?" He replied, "How much do you have?"

Ha ha ha (Ever heard the expression, Things said jokingly are meant seriously...)

I once asked my second Thai boyfriend, "If I was poor and had no money at all, would you still have chosen me to be your boyfriend?" He replied, "If I were fat, ugly, and feminine, would you have still chosen me to be your boyfriend?"

Bruce on tipping in massage places:

http://sawatdeenetwork.com/forum/bkk-fkk-shows-t34731-43.html

In a non-sex massage spa..... If we play around sexually at all.... I give him at least 200 baht.... If it's more intense or he puts in a great effort, then I give him 500 baht. If we end up having full-on sex... (which is very rare)... I give him 1000.... and get his phone number.

This is absolutely something I do nearly every day.... going to a "non-sex" massage. But I don't do anything at all sexual about 50% of the time. Depends on my mood, and on his "hotness" factor. When "nothing at all sexual" happens... that's when 100 baht is a generous enough tip. (I've asked the manager. She told me that most customers tip between 20 - 40 baht. I used to always tip 500 baht. She told me that was too much.)

Bruce on working with mamasans:

(ChristianPFC does the exact opposite, totally ignore all staff that wants to interfere and only talk to the boy.)

http://sawatdeenetwork.com/forum/trip-report-pattaya-september-2015-t34172-29.html

Go to A-Bomb, FunnyBoy, etc (alone!), *early*.... as soon as they open.... and work with the mamasan (waiter). Tell him *exactly* what type you want, and want you want to do in bed. Don't be shy! Negotiate the entire thing with the mamasan.... including the total charges including tip. Ask the mamasan to guarantee his performance!

Then choose a hottie who the mamasan says matches your requirements and tell the mamasan you want to "off" him..... now. No need to speak with him or buy him a drink! Just say no to that nonsense. Take him out the door and directly back to your room and fuck. It's not important that he can speak English. As long as he understands, " I fuck you. "

And fuck *first*..... all other fun activities can happen later, after sex. (Other activities, like dance clubs etc, can often just be the boy's way of putting off sex he doesn't want to do..... and get loads more whiskey money out of your wallet for free drinks for all his friends.) Fuck first.

Always choose "Short Time".

Here's why: You are *not* going to enjoy spending a long time with someone unless you're both into it. And if you are both into it, you can change any short time into a long time on the spot impromptu. Never over commit. There are too many fish (hotties) in the sea.

Bruce on exchanging phone numbers:

(ChristianPFC does the exact opposite, giving his phone number to boys but rarely asking boys for their phone number. But I am looking for free sex in these cases, details here: http://christianpfc.blogspot.de/2015/03/dating-thai-boys-28-name-card-case.html)

http://sawatdeenetwork.com/forum/trip-report-pattaya-september-2015-t34172-29.html

Also, at the big venues like Hero and Prince, they have so many boys that the manager doesn't even know their names. They come and go on a daily basis. Best to, when you do find one you like, inside the private room hand him your phone and tell him to dial *his* number into it. That's much better than giving him your card because he might not call. In fact he probably won't call.

Copyright ChristianPFC and Bruce 2016

Dating Thai boys (45) learning from friends

Dating Thai boys: learning from friends

Many of my friends have different approaches on dating Thai boys.  Here some suggestions how to do things differently.

Meet only English-speaking boys
A friend who speaks good Thai (reading and writing as well) dates only Thai boys who speak English. These boys have mental ability to learn English and interest in western culture.

There is something to it. My experience with Burmese and Khmer money boys in Thailand have been positive throughout, and all of them spoke good English. The fact that they are in Thailand shows physical mobility (not just displacement, but going somewhere with better options)

My experiences with Vietnamese money boys in Thailand have been very poor (two encounters, not enough for statistical analysis, but what I read in the forums confirms my experiences, and these two spoke poor or no English.

You should aim higher
Another friend once advised me “You should aim higher”. And indeed, when I met a boy I had from Saranrom during sightseeing by chance in his natural environment, I found out that he lives on the street and sniffs glue already in the afternoon and realized that I’m scratching at the bottom of the barrel.

Call instead of writing
Another friend prefers to call Thai boys on the phone or Line whereas I prefer writing on Line (I try to move conversation from facebook or gayromeo or hornet to Line if possible). By calling, he can tell what mood they are in and can exchange information much quicker than writing. What would be a 2-minute phone call can be dragged out to one hour when writing on Line.

When I write on Line, I have written record of what was written, but it can take long to come to an agreement. That was actually the main problem in these two cases recently reported:
http://christianpfc.blogspot.de/2016/10/dating-thai-boys-44-broken-record.html
http://christianpfc.blogspot.de/2016/10/dating-thai-boys-44-broken-record.html
(Or there is another problem that is completely covered by communication problem?)

I save thousands of Baht every year because money boys I am messaging or calling do not reply or pick up my call in time. About many boys' problems to hold onto a mobile phone read here: http://christianpfc.blogspot.de/2016/05/dating-thai-boys-40-mobile-phones.html

When I chat with a new boy, I send some random messages (hello, how are you, pictures from recent trips) over a few days just to see how quickly he replies and if Line is a stable means of communication.

Profiles without pictures
Another friend pays attention to profiles (on gay dating apps or websites) without pictures and meets quality boys from all over south-east Asia. That works for him, but wouldn't work for me. I say in my profile “no pic, no chat”. Physical attraction, based on a clear face pic, comes first.

Meet soon after first contact
When I have a hit on the apps in Bangkok, it can take days or weeks until I meet the boy, in some cases months, in some cases both of us lose interest when it takes too long. I try to combine it with other business, or at least have an alternative plan in case the boy doesn’t show up. When I have a hit while traveling in the provinces, it can take months until I meet the boy.

A friend is quicker: when he has a hit on the apps in Bangkok, it usually takes him less than an hour to meet the boy. In addition, if there is no action on first encounter, he moves on.

Pick up and bring back boys by own car
The friend from above has his own car and picks up and brings back boys (otherwise it would be difficult to meet the boy within one hour after first contact). That avoids all discussion about taxi fare (all these boys go with him for free). Even in the most unfavorable circumstances he does so. In one case, we were on our way back from a daytrip, and to take the boy home it was a total of 100 km (!!!) and 2 hours (!!!) detour. That’s a huge waste of time and money (even the average trips to pick up and bring back can be 50 km and 1 hour in Bangkok), however I spend more time and money, often without result.

That’s out of question for me: I have no car and I don’t want a car, but I can see the attraction for the Thai boys. Saying goodbye at my room door, or going down with the boy to main road to show him the way to bus or MRT station, seems poor in comparison.

Shave instead of beard
I used to shave because I don’t like beard on my sexual partners. Then in 2013 a friend told me I would look good with a beard, so I shaved only every two weeks (shaving can waste a lot of time - a friend told me he used to shave twice per day when he was young - but after three weeks I don’t like the feeling of my beard). Now another friend told me he likes me beard very much. Overall, there seem to be as many who like my beard as who don’t like my beard.

Date boys in the provinces
Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai are places with a lot of options for both sides. The problem is non-commitment, waiting for something better to come along.

Boys in the provinces (even in provincial capitals there is little interesting to do in terms of gay night life) don’t have these options and seem to be more eager to meet. From a small sampling, I would say they are better organized and fewer character flaws than boys in Bangkok.

Sometimes they write on facebook that they are bored or feel lonely. When chatting, they invite me to come to see them (but I have to combine with sightseeing, if I’m very interested I can arrange to go within a month).

Smile more
Thai and Farang friends tell me I look too serious and I should smile more. But my life is a series of hardships and deprivations, I have no reason to smile!

Drinking and smoking
A friend who chats up boys everywhere likes to drink beer and used to smoke (but gave up smoking in 2015, a big round of applause for him!). Many boys do, too, so that’s a good way to invite them for chat. But I neither drink nor smoke, in rare cases I offer the boy a beer (which we have to buy at 7-Eleven as I don’t stock beer in my fridge), but smoking is a no-no.

Copyright 2016 ChristianPFC

King Bhumibol dead

King Bhumibol dead

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/life/arts/2016/10/14/whats-canceled-closed-open-bangkok-mourning-period/
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/special-reports/1110600/key-tourist-events-in-provinces-put-off-or-cancelled

WOP: 7-Eleven shops

Words of praise: 7-Eleven shops

Correct name is 7-Eleven (which I shall use from now on; from their original opening times: 7:00-23:00, 7 days per week), but now open 24/7.

When I saw this one recently opened (11280 เย็นอากาศ 1 = 11280 Yen Agat Soi 1), I thought it must be the newest:

Until I came across 11374 Ladprao Soi 112 (eastern side, half way to Ramkhamhaeng 53). But http://corp.7-eleven.com/corp/international-licensing says there were 8,469 in Thailand  on August 18, 2015. 

Family Mart has around 1,116 stores in Thailand: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/10/05/familymart-expand-quantity-will-reach-2000-stores-5-years

Where was the first? I don't know, but 0078 near Chokchai 4 on northern side of Ladprao Road comes close. 00064 คลองเตย Klong Toey even closer. Most branches have leading zeros to make 4 digits, but once they realized that they will surpass 9999, leading zeros to make 5 digits was introduced, I assume.

There are rumors (citation needed) of a crossroads with four 7-Eleven in the four corners. I could see three 7-Eleven within less than 100 m distance from each other in Rayong:

There is no list with all of them (my search on internet and asking here http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/771449-7-eleven-store-locator/), and not all are shown on googlemaps (personal observation).

The smallest 7-Eleven I ever saw is near Victory Monument (Koh Phaya Thai) and has no entrance for customers:

Now to the words of praise part: well lit and air-conditioned and almost everywhere, so they make a great meeting spot. Best with number and name of the branch to avoid confusion, e.g. in Sri Bam Pen there are three 7-Eleven, hundreds of meters apart. You can pay everything there: bus and plane tickets and electricity bill. Open 24/7 is very useful for a late night meal when street food is closed. Proximity to 7-Eleven is a requirement for me: sometimes I forgot to buy butter or toast in the evening, wake up in the morning and it's just a short hop down to 7-Eleven before I can have breakfast. 

Read what others have written about 7-Eleven:
https://inspiredtravelsparks.wordpress.com/2014/08/17/the-big-deal-with-thailands-7-11-and-its-stamp-promotions/
http://bk.asia-city.com/city-living/news/bangkok-most-amazing-7-elevens-family-mart-ranked-best-worst  
update 10feb2019:
https://www.actoftraveling.com/2016/01/16/love-7-eleven-thailand/

Update: the now defunct (since 2009) blog gayboythailand had a post praising 7-Eleven. A friend B however buys all his alcohol at small Chinese shop, because they sell alcohol throughout the day and night. 

Copyright 2016 ChristianPFC