A few hotels to consider: (1) the Casa Papaya in Cha Am ...

[Smiles]

... if you ever decide to go off the beaten track, or stay outside the regular gay stroll, or something a little different in Bangkok.

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We shacked up for 3 days of relaxation and green leafy quietness at the Casa Papaya Hotel (http://www.casapapayathailand.com/accommodation_intro.html) on Cha Am Beach about 6 km south of Cha Am town itself.
Only 12 rooms built in a more Spanish/Mexican style than Thai with a vibrant orangey/blue colour scheme which contrasts deliciously with the lush green of the tropical trees and plants which are growing everywhere on the property.

The place is obviously a labour of love for the owners . . . over the years they've stuck collected pieces of outdoor art throughout the grounds and some inside nick nacks in the rooms. Our room was on the 2nd floor of a 6 suite building with a big shaded balcony to laze about on (very private from the balcony beside and the room just below), a grand king bed and very large bathroom with Thai style shower big enough for an soapy orgy of at least six interested Thai guys. TV, air con, coffee maker etc etc . . . nothing particularly luxurious about the rooms themselves: the sweetness of this place lies in it's cool ambience of total relaxation, and it's location right on the beach front with it's quite spotless white sand which goes as far as the eye can see to the north and the south.
A decent breakfast is included in the room price, and if you sneak down to the kitchen the night before the funny Thai cook who hangs out there seemingly 24/7 will cook you up something special for the next morning above & beyond the normal fare (tip her well, she's worth it!). Extremely tasty rice soup to try as an appetizer.

The restaurant is only open for a few hours during the day (besides breakfast that is) so if dinner is on your mind there are beach restaurants set up close to the hotel, and the road behind it has a few places as well.
You can go into Cha Am town itself by song taoew (try a beach road restaurant named "O-Zone" for an excellent spread, very cheap, including guitarist), ot hit a couple of the bar/restaurant/karaoke/dance places along the road which leads from town down to the beach



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Spent most of our swimming time in the pool (thankful for it ... the temperature in Cha Am area was very high) as the sign advertising a stinging jelly fish hazard in the ocean was right on the money: a walk along the beach turned up hundreds of dead and dried-out jelly carcases.
The pool is not huge, but often empty and open all the time for moonlight swims


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The gardens are full of quite beautiful blooms . . . this puppy tried to bite my hand as I reached out to touch it. I had not noticed the "Man-Eating Plant" sign (in Thai!) stuck in the ground just below, but I watched in awe as this seemingly gorgeous flower evicerated ~ then devoured ~ two innocent flies who made the mistake of landing on a petal for a quick fuck.


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Wash the sand off your feet before going up to the room with cool water from an old pot and a polished coconut ladle. Casa Papaya is chock-a-block full of sweet little touches like that . . . simple and charming things you want to copy when you get back home.


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The master of the house got his portrait taken on the balcony one evening and luckily somehow I managed to freeze the very same smile which melted my heart the first time we laid eyes on each other 6 years ago. He was 31 then, and I do see a few more lines around the face now that he's 37 ... but the smile is as mischevious as ever, but as sincere at the same time. The face of a mature Thai man, as sexy as ever, but even better, having a great many 'life' stories to tell: I'll take it like that over any 18-22 yr old, any day.


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A couple more suggestions coming later ...

Cheers ...

[Dick]

As we all get older, as we must, it's gratifying when your bf still retains an amazing body despite the approaching years. Great shot of Suphot with surfboard on the balcony Smiles. But you should have taken that rose pink filter off your camera lens:-) Very gay friendly, or is it the hotel owner's wifes favourite colour for exterior walls?

I didn't take to Cha-Am when I visited, as the beach outside the package tourists' hotel I stayed at was only a few feet deep. But you certainly seem to have found a very nice nook and one I've bookmarked.

[Smiles]

Hi Dick, yes that first photo is not a very good one . . . seems to have gotten washed out somehow. I'm still trying my first digital camera, and although it's sweet, I'm not yet expert enough in the million-&-one features the damn thing has. I tend to under-use it, relying on 'AUTO' setting too much.

I've changed the colours in that photo somewhat and the walls now reflect more of the true orange colour, rather than that pinkish tone it had before. Still not a great shot though ... the others are much better.
Gave Suphot a new face as well :cheers:

Now, about your purple-headed avatar portrait .... :blackeye:

Cheers ...

[bing]

Ah, Smiles, I know exactly what you mean by stating the digital cameras have so many settings it is almost too easy to rely on Auto. I have the same prob. If I am in a rush I use auto, but if not in a rush I ponder the multitudinous settings. I'm glad I did not toss away the old Kodak 3.2 mega-pixel camera, it is so simple to use, but the new Nikon is a much better camera, with all its setting, but I find myself reaching for the old Kodak for just regular 4X6 pictures. It takes pictures almost as good and a lot less selecting of what mode to shoot-in. I do like the new Nikon but also find the line of least resistance is with the older Kodak. Good luck in future digital areas.

[Smiles]

The real problem lies in the instruction manual. (Or in me :blackeye: )

It's very small, yet very thick ~ characteristics which hardly ever work well together ~ and unbelievably user unfriendly. I look at it over there on the bedside table and know I should read it, but I cannot bring myself to even open it ... it's very presense is daunting, like a steaming plateful of coackroaches (or something) served up on a rickety stainless steel table in a little alley off Pradiphat Road. I never touched them either.

The lazy man's 'auto' setting works wonders with these puppies and I wonder why have all the other bells & whistles at all. But I'll try them I guess ... may take a few years. Meanwhile I'm shocked at how good the quality is with this camera without me even trying.

Cheers ...