Dodger
January 3rd, 2016, 12:43
Hi you maniacs.
Well, I could save all my customary long-winded babbling and summarize my holiday with 3 words; тАЬBoysтАжBoysтАжBoys,тАЭ but that wouldnтАЩt be any fun.
This was/ is the lowest high season ever in Pattaya as IтАЩm sure most of you are aware. Nevertheless, the entertainment venues are still operating with no shortage of eager smiling boys. I sat one night at a beer bar in Sunee with a friend of mine listening to a non-stop flurry of complaints from him regarding how bad the scene was which caused me to rapidly down my Leo and say goodbye sooner than I would have if the conversation was even the slightest bit positive and upbeat. All the guy had to do is turn is head slightly to the left and he would have seen 6 good looking boys sitting alone at the beer bar next door , probably wondering (as I was) why this farang was so depressed. ThereтАЩs no debating the point that the scene is nothing like it used to be, but there are 100 willing and available boys in Sunee on any given night and if someone canтАЩt figure out how to have a good time theyтАЩd better check their meds.
Utapao Airport announced its expansion of domestic and international flights last year and just launched its operations in November. I purchased a roundtrip ticket from UTP to Udorn Thani for 2,000 baht and the service was flawless. UTP now flyтАЩs domestically to a number of key cities in LOS via Air Asia, as well as some international destinations such as Singapore and Hong Kong for very low rates. Utapao is a 50 minute ride from Pattaya and you can catch a mini bus on your return to Pattaya which delivers you right to your door in Pattaya for 250 baht. You can avoid taxi fares to Utapao by driving (either by car or motorbike) and parking right across from the terminal for an unlimited duration for 20 baht. A copy of my passport/visa which I had plastic coated was accepted at the guard gate which was returned to me 4 days later when I returned. A new landing strip and terminal are being built to accommodate this expansion offering a great alternative Airport for both domestic and international travel which is great for Pattaya. For me itтАЩs even better because itтАЩs a short 20 minute motorbike ride to UTP from my condo in Bang Saray which has already had a positive impact on Bang Saray property values which put a smile on my faceтАж.and not one of those Thai smilesтАжa real smile.
I did manage to complete the refurbishment and furnishing of my condo which was on the agenda for this trip, but the majority of my time was consumed by passion. I had to think about which word I should use to describe this for a long minuteтАжand тАЬpassionтАЭ seems to be the most politically correct word to use under these circumstances. No love affairs, gold bracelet outings or weddings this tripтАжjust an abundance of delusional romantic interactions with guys who were as convincing about their orgasms as Donald Trump is convincing about his qualifications to the Republican motor cycle culture in America. Seriously, I met a number of great new friends, had a great time in-the-bed and out and stored a dozen new phone numbers in my Nokia mobile which I hope are still active when I return in April.
I picked up a health insurance policy with U.S. based Liberty Mutual Co. who now offers a policy for Thai expats with reasonable coverage for a reasonable rate. The coverage is 1 million baht max per medical incident for 33,000 baht/year, and the coverage continues over the age of 70 unless there are number of high claims preceding the age of 70 where the coverage may be terminated. Pre-existing conditions are excluded. I know that 1 million baht wonтАЩt cover тАЬThe Big OneтАЭ but itтАЩs better than not having any insurance at all and I feel better about having a card in my pocket. There is a long list of hospitals in LOS that accept Liberty Mutual including Bangkok Pattaya, Bunrungrad (Bangkok) and Queen Sirikit (Sattahip Naval Hospital), which I was most interested in. They also pay the hospital for covered expenses directly тАУ versus those reimbursement schemes which I wasnтАЩt interested in. This policy also includes medical emergencies when I am back here in the U.S. тАУ which then in-turn meets the minimum requirements under Obama Care so I will be able to avoid paying any financial penalties at tax time for not having any U.S. health insurance.
I enjoyed a few side trips to Udorn Thani, Nong Khai, and two short trips up to Bangkok. The last time I visited Soi Twilight it was like a ghost town, including the absence of boys working the host bars, probably due to the 350 baht drink prices at the rip off gogo bars. Silom Road was really hopping and I enjoyed sitting around Connections Bar (next to Telephone Pub) which was loaded with customers with a good selection of pop music which seemed to be to everyoneтАЩs liking. Great eye candy and plenty of actionтАжmuch better than Soi Twilight which was a first for me. I rendezvoused with a Vietnamese boy who works at a beer bar on Soi Twilight during my first trip to BKK but he had to depart to VN to get his visa stamp after our get together which was probably best for me. HeтАЩs one of the best looking guys IтАЩve ever been with and I could see myself falling into that web very easily which IтАЩve been trying to avoid. My next trip to BKK was for the purpose of rendezvousing with a guy from Gayromeo who traveled down to BKK from his home in Kabinburi. He presented himself as being hi-so with a bit of a snobbish personality which was a turn off for me, but he had a great body and didnтАЩt tell me to stop rimming him because he was ticklish down there so not all was lost.
Christmas was a non-event for me exactly as intended. I stopped going to those over-promoted Pattaya Christmas dinner extravaganzas a long time ago after getting tired of being served processed turkey lunch meat, stuffing that usually tastes like salted stale bread and crappy white mushy substance masquerading as mashed potatoesтАжall for the joyous charge of 750 to 1,000 baht. Instead, I opted to spend Christmas chugging Leo beers at one of my favorite bars watching a group of cute boys playing snooker and enjoyed to rest of the evening with a 26 y/o hair dresser from Trat who helped me stuff the stockings well into the night. BeerтАжBoyтАжBedтАжjust in that order, topped off with a late night dinner of khao pad gai kai dao at a local Thai food stall garnished with a sprig of mistletoeтАжworked for me.
Everyone seemed to be upset with the Military for shrinking the size of the concessions at Jomtien Beach, but after hearing the facts, I for one, agree with the actions taken. The beach-front concessions (all the concessions) had been encroaching on public beach front for years which is very typical for Thais, and in doing so, completely monopolized the beach front areas. All the military did was ask them to follow the law and keep their concessions within the specified space limits. Yes, I know that the concessions are cramped now, but at least you can see some sand which was the purpose of the space limitations to begin with, and not unlike the legal controls that are imposed on tourist beach fronts in any other country. Frankly, the Thais have a habit of swarming areas to sell their wares without any regard for other businesses in the area or pedestrian traffic тАУ so they have to be controlled.
Thailand is faced with some major challenges going forward and re-gaining international confidence will take years if not decades to accomplish. Having said that, I can see the Thai Baht weakening even more against the U.S. dollar - possibly as low as 40 baht/1 U.S. dollar in the next 10-12 months. I am not a financial expert nor do I study financial markets, so this is just a gut feeling and not in any regards meant to ignite a debate on the subject with those who do have expertise in this area.
All-in-all, I had a great time, and as always, canтАЩt wait until my return. I will be taking advantage of the condo in Bang Saray during Songkran this year тАУ as I will be promptly pack my backpack on April 14, then lock the apartment door in Pattaya and head to Bang Saray тАУ not returning to Pattaya until the wee early morning hours of April 20 - just in time to miss the whole event. My plans for next holiday involve a repeat of everything I did this holidayтАжGod willing and the creek donтАЩt rise.
HAPPY NEW YEAR !
Dodger
Well, I could save all my customary long-winded babbling and summarize my holiday with 3 words; тАЬBoysтАжBoysтАжBoys,тАЭ but that wouldnтАЩt be any fun.
This was/ is the lowest high season ever in Pattaya as IтАЩm sure most of you are aware. Nevertheless, the entertainment venues are still operating with no shortage of eager smiling boys. I sat one night at a beer bar in Sunee with a friend of mine listening to a non-stop flurry of complaints from him regarding how bad the scene was which caused me to rapidly down my Leo and say goodbye sooner than I would have if the conversation was even the slightest bit positive and upbeat. All the guy had to do is turn is head slightly to the left and he would have seen 6 good looking boys sitting alone at the beer bar next door , probably wondering (as I was) why this farang was so depressed. ThereтАЩs no debating the point that the scene is nothing like it used to be, but there are 100 willing and available boys in Sunee on any given night and if someone canтАЩt figure out how to have a good time theyтАЩd better check their meds.
Utapao Airport announced its expansion of domestic and international flights last year and just launched its operations in November. I purchased a roundtrip ticket from UTP to Udorn Thani for 2,000 baht and the service was flawless. UTP now flyтАЩs domestically to a number of key cities in LOS via Air Asia, as well as some international destinations such as Singapore and Hong Kong for very low rates. Utapao is a 50 minute ride from Pattaya and you can catch a mini bus on your return to Pattaya which delivers you right to your door in Pattaya for 250 baht. You can avoid taxi fares to Utapao by driving (either by car or motorbike) and parking right across from the terminal for an unlimited duration for 20 baht. A copy of my passport/visa which I had plastic coated was accepted at the guard gate which was returned to me 4 days later when I returned. A new landing strip and terminal are being built to accommodate this expansion offering a great alternative Airport for both domestic and international travel which is great for Pattaya. For me itтАЩs even better because itтАЩs a short 20 minute motorbike ride to UTP from my condo in Bang Saray which has already had a positive impact on Bang Saray property values which put a smile on my faceтАж.and not one of those Thai smilesтАжa real smile.
I did manage to complete the refurbishment and furnishing of my condo which was on the agenda for this trip, but the majority of my time was consumed by passion. I had to think about which word I should use to describe this for a long minuteтАжand тАЬpassionтАЭ seems to be the most politically correct word to use under these circumstances. No love affairs, gold bracelet outings or weddings this tripтАжjust an abundance of delusional romantic interactions with guys who were as convincing about their orgasms as Donald Trump is convincing about his qualifications to the Republican motor cycle culture in America. Seriously, I met a number of great new friends, had a great time in-the-bed and out and stored a dozen new phone numbers in my Nokia mobile which I hope are still active when I return in April.
I picked up a health insurance policy with U.S. based Liberty Mutual Co. who now offers a policy for Thai expats with reasonable coverage for a reasonable rate. The coverage is 1 million baht max per medical incident for 33,000 baht/year, and the coverage continues over the age of 70 unless there are number of high claims preceding the age of 70 where the coverage may be terminated. Pre-existing conditions are excluded. I know that 1 million baht wonтАЩt cover тАЬThe Big OneтАЭ but itтАЩs better than not having any insurance at all and I feel better about having a card in my pocket. There is a long list of hospitals in LOS that accept Liberty Mutual including Bangkok Pattaya, Bunrungrad (Bangkok) and Queen Sirikit (Sattahip Naval Hospital), which I was most interested in. They also pay the hospital for covered expenses directly тАУ versus those reimbursement schemes which I wasnтАЩt interested in. This policy also includes medical emergencies when I am back here in the U.S. тАУ which then in-turn meets the minimum requirements under Obama Care so I will be able to avoid paying any financial penalties at tax time for not having any U.S. health insurance.
I enjoyed a few side trips to Udorn Thani, Nong Khai, and two short trips up to Bangkok. The last time I visited Soi Twilight it was like a ghost town, including the absence of boys working the host bars, probably due to the 350 baht drink prices at the rip off gogo bars. Silom Road was really hopping and I enjoyed sitting around Connections Bar (next to Telephone Pub) which was loaded with customers with a good selection of pop music which seemed to be to everyoneтАЩs liking. Great eye candy and plenty of actionтАжmuch better than Soi Twilight which was a first for me. I rendezvoused with a Vietnamese boy who works at a beer bar on Soi Twilight during my first trip to BKK but he had to depart to VN to get his visa stamp after our get together which was probably best for me. HeтАЩs one of the best looking guys IтАЩve ever been with and I could see myself falling into that web very easily which IтАЩve been trying to avoid. My next trip to BKK was for the purpose of rendezvousing with a guy from Gayromeo who traveled down to BKK from his home in Kabinburi. He presented himself as being hi-so with a bit of a snobbish personality which was a turn off for me, but he had a great body and didnтАЩt tell me to stop rimming him because he was ticklish down there so not all was lost.
Christmas was a non-event for me exactly as intended. I stopped going to those over-promoted Pattaya Christmas dinner extravaganzas a long time ago after getting tired of being served processed turkey lunch meat, stuffing that usually tastes like salted stale bread and crappy white mushy substance masquerading as mashed potatoesтАжall for the joyous charge of 750 to 1,000 baht. Instead, I opted to spend Christmas chugging Leo beers at one of my favorite bars watching a group of cute boys playing snooker and enjoyed to rest of the evening with a 26 y/o hair dresser from Trat who helped me stuff the stockings well into the night. BeerтАжBoyтАжBedтАжjust in that order, topped off with a late night dinner of khao pad gai kai dao at a local Thai food stall garnished with a sprig of mistletoeтАжworked for me.
Everyone seemed to be upset with the Military for shrinking the size of the concessions at Jomtien Beach, but after hearing the facts, I for one, agree with the actions taken. The beach-front concessions (all the concessions) had been encroaching on public beach front for years which is very typical for Thais, and in doing so, completely monopolized the beach front areas. All the military did was ask them to follow the law and keep their concessions within the specified space limits. Yes, I know that the concessions are cramped now, but at least you can see some sand which was the purpose of the space limitations to begin with, and not unlike the legal controls that are imposed on tourist beach fronts in any other country. Frankly, the Thais have a habit of swarming areas to sell their wares without any regard for other businesses in the area or pedestrian traffic тАУ so they have to be controlled.
Thailand is faced with some major challenges going forward and re-gaining international confidence will take years if not decades to accomplish. Having said that, I can see the Thai Baht weakening even more against the U.S. dollar - possibly as low as 40 baht/1 U.S. dollar in the next 10-12 months. I am not a financial expert nor do I study financial markets, so this is just a gut feeling and not in any regards meant to ignite a debate on the subject with those who do have expertise in this area.
All-in-all, I had a great time, and as always, canтАЩt wait until my return. I will be taking advantage of the condo in Bang Saray during Songkran this year тАУ as I will be promptly pack my backpack on April 14, then lock the apartment door in Pattaya and head to Bang Saray тАУ not returning to Pattaya until the wee early morning hours of April 20 - just in time to miss the whole event. My plans for next holiday involve a repeat of everything I did this holidayтАжGod willing and the creek donтАЩt rise.
HAPPY NEW YEAR !
Dodger