Gifts for boys?

[TravellerDave]

Occasionally when I'm feeling happy and generous and have had a boy for several days I like to buy him a pr es ent. Of course what they would really like would be a iPhone or even a iPad, like the one I am using for this post, but I'm not
as generous as that. I have bought jeans in the past, a standard phone and even a gold earring.
I'm wondering what other gifts you would suggest ?.

[frequentflier]

Usually just give extra money..it works every time for me.

[Neal]

Make sure that it does not reflect at all in any part of thier earnings. I used to take boys off as they whined for me because they did not want to work that night. Take them to dinner, go bowling and other stuff. Even on the beach a boy would stop by, I would treat them to soem beers, a good lunch and then when departing they would say, "did you forget something?" I would ask in return "what?" Then they would have the balls to say, "my tip. I sat with you and kept you company all day. My tip" Of course that brought on an onslought of nasty words from me as I never requested them to have a date with me only if they wanted a beer or to eat. They can be very greedy and thoughtless. Presents are EXTRA

[Manforallseasons]

Years back when I first came to Pattaya I meet a boy I quite liked, after sometime he showed me his room that he shared with a friend, as one would imagine it was small with just a fan and a shared toilet in the hallway. One day he said you know they left cable in our room but we don't have a TV. I was shopping in big C and went to where they had TV's....Long before LCD, Led, and Plasma just a box like set, as I looked they had a special on a 19 inch Sony. I called him asked him to meet me at Big C and as I waited I purchased the TV, upon his arrival he looked at the sample display and said " It not have flat screen"
That was the last gift I bought for a Thai boy.

[Thai Dyed]

How about a Ferrari? Or a Maserati or Lamborghini? They have them at Paragon in BKK. Why be a cheap-Charlie, eh? You're a successful insurance mogul, nay?

[ceejay]

Frequentflyer and DaBoss are both right - money is always acceptable, and no gift, no matter how expensive is ever seen as being offset against a tip.
If you want to give something more personal, then anything branded that is "real" - i.e. not a copy - is good and is a status symbol to the boys who can spot the difference between a copy and the real thing across a dimly lit bar. A brand name tee shirt or baseball cap will do the job. Some years ago, in the hope that it would make a boy more punctual (some hope!) I gave him an old Swatch that I had. He took one look at it and said "This is not a copy". He was still wearing it 2 years later.
The boys are not always greedy in my experience. Some years back I offered to take a boy shopping for clothes because, he said, he was new to the bars and needed them. He took me to the night market at Jomtien, and picked up enough clothes for a week from the second hand stalls. He was very careful with my money and the whole lot only cost me about 1500 baht.
More recently, I happened to mention to a boy in the now closed Solid Bar in Bangkok that I was going to Chatuchak the next day. I asked him if he would like to come with me and, after spending a couple of hours looking round, I asked him if he would like me to buy him anything. "Need shoes" he said, so off we went to the many shoe stalls. He spent a good deal of time looking around, trying things on, and seemed to settle on a black suede pair that cost, if I remember right, 700 baht, so I asked him if he would like those. He looked at them, put them back on the shelf, took them back off, put them back again and said "they will be too hot". He chose a very sensible 300 baht pair that wouldn't have looked out of place with a school uniform. Well, he obviously coveted the suede ones and 1000 baht for 2 pairs of shoes wasn't going to kill me so I told him he could have 2 pairs if he wanted. Back to the black suede shoes, off the shelf then back again - then he chose to have a second pair of the 300 baht sensible shoes, identical to the first pair ("They last longer".) Perhaps the lesson is that, if you find out what the boys need, rather than asking what they want, it may well turn out to be something quite mundane that will not break the bank.

[jimnbkk]

It may also have a lot to do with what the boy thinks of you, too. If, like ceejay's boy in the last post, he asks for sensible things that he'll really use, then maybe he likes you and doesn't want to sour the relationship by asking for really expensive stuff that he'll possibly sell as soon as you're not looking.

I always bring stuff with me when I visit with specific boys in mind for specific gifts. And, as previously posted, I make sure that I am getting the real thing and not a copy. I bring "perfume" for one boy that has been a friend for years. He specifies the stuff he wants, but I usually get him a bottle of 'good stuff' that I find on sale somewhere. For my present flame I will bring shirts. I give him enough money when I'm here at home that he doesn't need anything particularly expensive when I arrive.

Oh I know I'm a soft touch, but any boy that I have spent a few days with I have always bought a present - and I do find it sweet and touching when they use some of their "tip" money to buy me a little gift in return.

One thing I refuse to do though is go shopping for shoes - a previous BF from Funny Boys could spin out buying a pair of shoes into an all-day event and get totally pissed off with me when I intimated after only a hour that I'd rather be drinking a beer than looking at fucking shoes!
A while after we split, someone took him to Russia - and I imagine him surrounded by shoes in a dacha by the Black Sea.

As far as little gifts on arrival for selected bar boys are concerned, anything "unusual" brought from home is appreciated - especially when accompanied with a 500B note and a "nice to see you again" greeting!



:party

I'm so with you on the shoe thing Scot's - I decided at around 5pm one evening that I wanted my guy and I to go to the Lebua hotel rooftop bar for a few sundowner cocktails, however he was wearing quite ropey trainers, no problem I said just nip in and grab a pair of just "anything" shoe wise just to do for now and hell even if you don't like them that much you can always bin them later - this then immediately turned into my being dragged around what seemed like 20 shoe stores with him then trying on upwards of 5 or 6 pairs of shoes in each shop plus going into a full fashion tip conversation with the staff members in each shop about what colour suited him best, how sturdy the shoes were, what price they were ( which didn't matter to me) and me standing maoning at him to hurry the hell up as we were going to miss the sunset.

So, no surprises that we DID miss the sunset, I didn't get any cocktails, he didn't get any shoes and we both ended up falling out as apparently "I was trying to rush him" and "he was only trying to make sure whatever he bought went with all his trousers" ! We did laugh about it later but at that particular moment I SWORE I would never go shoe shopping with a gay Thai guy again and so far have stuck to that rule religiously ! ( I have to say in his defence when I go shoe shopping I'm probably not much better but when there's cocktails to be had at least I make the effort to shake myself ! )

[paperboy]

on my last visit last june, i did buy a waiter a present, did not off him or anything, he was working in a bar in sunee.
I dont wear a watch, so i have to ask people the time or look at my mobile to get it, on this particaly night i asked the waiter
what time it was, he said he did not know, i said your wearing a watch :violent1: , he said it was broke long time :dontknow:
i thought for a second and asked him why he wore a watch that was broke, he said he liked it and the colour.

well to cut a long story short i went out the next day and bought hima new watch, the same colour as the first one, it was about 3000
bahts, when i went to the bar that night i gave it to him, i swaer he was just about in tears, ive never seen anybody so so happy and so greatfull for such a small thing. We a re now good freinds on face book etc, no sex just freind ship, and he still shows me the watch ever time we are on cam on msn.

paperboy

[gearguy]

For my best friends in Thailand, I usually bring something "kinky" they are not likely to find in Thailand: cockrings, ball stretchers, jerk-off toys. For one of my best friends, he likes leather wear and I have brought him a leather cap, leather shorts, and a harness. They are something none of the others guys at DJ are likely to have, so he always gets compliments. It's a plus for me as he's very hot looking wearing the leather I bring him :happy7:

One funny thing, they always ask me to bring sexy underwear and jockstraps; one guy even sent me the URL for a pair of underwear he liked, so I ordered them from a store here in US before I left for my trip. When they showed up, guess where they were made?

On the other hand, my friend into jockstraps, says it is very hard to find jocks like Bike brand, in Thailand, so I usally exchange a few new pairs for some of his old pairs when I visit.

[adman5000]

I agree that gifts are extra.
Before coming to Thailand, I always bring a bunch of the same type items. Then I tell the boy to choose the one he likes the most. It is always appreciated and fun to see him try out, try on, or closely inspect the items to decide which one he likes the most. I look for things that are not easily obtained in Thailand.

When i was last in my bf's village.i brought a couple of Man City shirts ...one for a teacher from the local school who is in The Man City fan club and one for my bf's young cousin who is mad on football.....now my bf wants one when i go back in Dec

[christianpfc]

it was about 3000 bahts, ... for such a small thing.

"3000 Baht" and "small thing" cannot be used in the same paragraph.

I don't give presents to Thai friends for a variety of reasons:

I rarely spend several days with the same boy, often only one night or two nights and one day.

All presents I got (from relatives and friends) over the last five years were so-so. I prefer not to get presents any more.

I have no interest in parfume, clothes, mobile phones, so I would not know what I am buying even if I wanted to bring a present.

The miniature metal Eiffel-towers I brought as souvenirs for some Thai friends backfired heavily.

If I notice that a Thai friend needs something for his places or likes something he cannot afford, I might buy it for him, but I will not buy surprise presents.

[ButtLover]

It is true, most boys would like a tip. However, I have found several exceptions. I am assuming that any gift is in addition to the regular or extra cash tip already given. (1) I only consider gifts for good boys that I have enjoyed being with for several days and have gotten to know over a longer period of time. For me, there has to be a reason for the gift that they understand is something I want to do for them that is different than just giving them cash. (2) It is pretty simple to figure out beforehand if they are simply greedy or testing if you have an ATM wallet. They will let you know during the time you are together if they want an IPHONE or IPAD or gold jewelry. For those, I don't even think about a gift. They are not in a relationship with me like a long-term lover. (3) I have read many places that those that want gold jewelry will quickly sell it once you are out of town for cash. Lets face reality -- unless there is really an emotional connection the boy feels with you, he is not going to keep an earring or necklace just to remind him of you. (4) For the good boys, they do have real needs. They all like fashionable clothes, like any young guy, and it does give them status. But I have been lucky in being with several young boys over a period of time, and they have shown me that part of "taking care of me" included making sure that they also saved me money. It may be in negotiating taxi fare or hotel rooms, or selecting a restaurant, or whatever. Those that have been careful with my money as we spent the days together are also careful with their money.

I ask them, is there anything they need, and many times it comes back with clothing, like pants, bathing suit, shoes or new t-shirts. What I do then is tell them we will go shopping for some of the things they suggest, and THEN I tell them a dollar amount I will spend on them. I always let THEM pick the place to go buy stuff with me.

Once we are on the way to the markets or mall, and not before, I hand them the money. I have found that they when they are making their purchases, they do not feel embarrassed that an old farang pulls out money from his wallet and everyone around knows they are a money-boy. These boys like and need to feel some status, and by being able to pull out the money from their own pocket to pay gives them a good feeling.

I get to have the pleasure of watching them shop and giving my input into their selections. Where it is not a major store or mall, they always negotiate for the best bargain to make "their" money go further. Also amazing is that every time I have done this, the boy has tried to return to me any of the money not spent. I tell him to keep it and usually get a hug or big smile of gratitude.

I do, sometimes, see that there is something else the boy might need or like, and sometimes kick in a few extra dollars for him to be able to purchase it if I can see he is not being wasteful or greedy. Lets face it. These guys are real people that do have feelings, and treating them with respect is appreciated. They know that they have done a good job taking care of me, and they also feel grateful for the emotional caring it shows. I feel I know this, because the money-grubbers and the greedy ones do not get this chance from me. I don't give gifts unless the boy has shown me over a period of days he is basically a good boy and also that he deserves something extra above the tip and any extra money that would normally be all that he should receive.

[jimnbkk]

Going with the boy shopping in a mall is ok because the prices are fixed at a mall shop. But, I've been told by the boy when shopping in a market that I should stay out of sight. The reason, of course, is that prices at a market for farang start at approximately double what they are for a Thai. So, I always follow at a discreet distance at a market.

[PeterUK]

The miniature metal Eiffel-towers I brought as souvenirs for some Thai friends backfired heavily.


I'm never quite sure whether some of your lines are meant to be humorous or not. Anyway, this one is very funny.

...The miniature metal Eiffel-towers I brought as souvenirs for some Thai friends backfired heavily....

I'm surprised and disappointed to hear this - because I remember you specifically pointed out that you had bought the expensive metal Eiffel Towers at 4 for a Euro, rather than the cheap and inferior, plastic variety.

:occasion9:

[Shuee]

no gifts anymore, as this tip tip tip for just doing nothing really gets to two after a while, especially if your in several bars every night & paying for offs & their drinks in everybar you visit, with the added prices of tax on fuel for flights & a very bad baht exchange rate for years now, thailand should be satisfied i chosen to visited them & spend my money in their country, unless i start to earn mega money things wont change, i got bills to pay & have to work hard for it, whilst trying to maintain a happy medium on my vacation

[Mancs]

I agree about not wanting to look at shoes for ages. I thought I was patient but an hour looking at sandals is too much for me. That guy then had a strop because I refused to go in the gold shops so that shopping trip didn't work out. I once took a camera as a gift for a man-but then he persuaded me to buy a mobile phone, which had an excellent camera. I will stick to cash. He can send some it to his mother and that's hard with an object.

[Chris2324]

i bought a car to the boy in 2006, he lived with me for a year and took great care of me.
i do not think someone will fell in love with my old ass if there is no financial interest.

i also dated a thai guy from bkk that was a buisness owner he was 10 years younger and we were in love, that guy would never let me pay for anything, and i felt like his money boy.

so if you can afford it and they were good to you, go big