Off to Thailand in Oct

[Buck Bee]

I lived there for over ten years but haven't been back for 5 years. Im going in October, whats changed there in the last 5 years?

[cdnmatt]

Ok, now you're just being a dickhead trying to get some link juice for your shitty blog.

Doesn't anyone have common respect any more?

[Buck Bee]

Actually I was being serious but fine... I want be back here man

[cdnmatt]

In the previous thread you started you asked if you can post your blog. I even replied basically, "fuck yeah, we're all ears!".

Then hours later you make this 2 sentence thread asking what has changed in the past 5 years?

Ummm....

You don't even give a city name. Just simply, "what's changed in Thailand in the past 5 years?". Well, quite a fucken lot actually. If you haven't read the news in the past couple years, we're under a military dictaorship right now, and it doesn't looks like that changing until probably around 2019.

[fountainhall]

I lived there for over ten years but haven't been back for 5 years
I won't go as far as cdnmatt, but if you haven't been here for 5 years, why are you writing articles in your blog indicating that you either live here or visit regularly. For example, this on May 22 this year tells of your visa run to Cambodia -


Last year I had to do a visa run, so I thought that I would go to Aranyaprathet (http://wikitravel.org/en/Aranyaprathet). I hadn’t been there for a few years and I noticed that there had been lots of development on the Thai side of the border but the Cambodian side is still basically the same apart from a few more casinos.

Clearly either you were here or someone else wrote that article. Then there is a November 2014 article on Saphan Kwai Bars. This is full of very detailed directional information for cars, even though the bar info is not accurate as a respondent points out -


“Charming Bar” is closed as far as I know and there are very few bars left on soi 20. (Why don’t people check their facts before sending people on wild goose chases?)
So are your Thai articles figments of an imagination, cribbed from others, or are your comments about not being here for 5 years inaccurate? For it looks as though it has to be one of these.

[Buck Bee]

The blog dates back to 2012 when it was set up. Many of the articles are from my actual experiences in the 10 years prior to that year. If they are not written by me then it will say who the guest author is at the bottom of the article. (I paid them to write the articles - about 3 or 4 articles all up) I closed the blog down for 2 years as I didn't have time to run it and only re-set it up recently and had to re-post the articles hence they have more recent dates. I tried to change the dates where possible but really had not idea of the actually dates that I originally wrote the articles. The vast majority of the articles I've written and were my actual experiences. Thanks and bye!

[Buck Bee]

http://web.archive.org/web/20110501000000*/http://www.asiaguys.net/

[Buck Bee]

3871 This is the last photo that I took in Thailand and its dated Monday, ‎30 ‎January ‎2012, ‏‎10:42:31 AM so thats about when I was last there

[Surfcrest]

Actually, Buck Bee has been a long term contributor to Gay Thailand and his site was hosted on Sawatdee Network for a while, when Elephantspike was still with us.
I've known Buck Bee as a poster for quite some time so, please join me in welcoming him here with us.

Surfcrest

[Moses]

Welcome back Buck Bee :)

[fountainhall]

The blog dates back to 2012 when it was set up. Many of the articles are from my actual experiences in the 10 years prior to that year.
I did not mean to be difficult but it does seem very odd to update a blog purporting to give accurate and reasonably up-to-date info when in fact much of it is several years old! That's just not fair to readers, in my view, the more so when there have been lots of changes in the interim. It would be far better to date each article with the approximate time it was written rather than changing dates and years. Without that, it becomes far too obvious to some that something is not right with them. After all there are other much more recent blogs with more accurate info. Why try to kid new readers to your blog that your articles are as accurate - when they are not? Merely a suggestion, but I think a more than reasonable one.

[latintopxxx]

well...welll.....well..... i think matty and fountain owe Buck Bee a grovelling apology. My only regret is that a447 didnt jump onto the " shoot 'em down" bandwagon. Amazing how some sad people will do their utmost to pick holes....no matter how small i someones posts so that they can grandstand!!

[fountainhall]

well...welll.....well..... i think matty and fountain owe Buck Bee a grovelling apology
Absolutely no apology from me - grovelling or otherwise! By changing the dates of his entries, Buck Bee is basically conning readers into believing they were written recently which is far from the truth - as he acknowledges!

[fountainhall]

Amazing how some sad people will do their utmost to pick holes....no matter how small i someones posts so that they can grandstand!!
Cheap jibe and totally unwarranted. I'm perfectly happy! Grovelling apology from you, Latin?

[MiniMee]

The blog dates back to 2012 when it was set up. Many of the articles are from my actual experiences in the 10 years prior to that year.

In that case, I recommend your Blog to scottish-guy – it will be a revelation to him.

[Buck Bee]

Man... This thread is hilarious 😂 Thanks Surf Crest for the WordPress hosting back then when the blog started and Moses I remember many many years ago you were setting up a website for "Look Me Massage" and you recommended that I go there... Which I did. The owner was such a wonderful person and a great massage too :)

[Buck Bee]

@LatinT thanks.. Dark Latino guys are just as spectacular as Asian guys :) Don't worry man... I agree with you. There are some grumpy people out there who complain about the smallest and most rediclious things. Much better not to be serious and have fun 😂

Gay sex and gay love is exactly that... The story doesn't change and memories are still the same even if it's 5 years later ♥

Btw... Remind me not to post any pictures of the trip here... The serious gang here will likely complain they are slightly out of focus or not straight Lmao!!! FUNNY!! :)

[a447]

well...well...well....Latin, of all people, calling on others to make an apology - and a
"grovelling" one at that.

What a hide you have, Latin!

If anyone has to apologise, it's you, for making countless contradictory posts on the forum over the years and then always refusing to explain yourself. Twice in just the last week, for god's sake!

I haven't read Buck Bee's blog so won't comment. Simple as that.

[Buck Bee]

The community seems nice but wow this thread is really hostile. I'm going back to my blog bong bong!

My ex boyfriend used to always say bong bong for bye bye hahaha :)

[arsenal]

In saying goodbye so quickly Buck bee you've sort of confirmed what I and others suspected in the first place. That you just dropped in to publicise your historical blog.

[fountainhall]

The community seems nice but wow this thread is really hostile. I'm going back to my blog bong bong!
Well, that must be one of the quickest hello and goodbyes on record!

I still can't apologise for taking a couple of your blog posts apart. I firmly believe you made a big mistake by altering the dates by a few years - or even if the original dates got lost, by then updating them to make them look as though they were penned a few years later. That just devalues any blog, especially one about Thailand where, as others have pointed out, things have been changing quite a lot in the last 5 years or so.

I have since read the Japan posts as I know Tokyo well having worked there and visited many times, most recently 6 weeks ago. I'm sorry to say but again the information is very much out of date. With respect, the post dated November 5 2013 can not have been written at any time in 2013! It mentions this information which I suspect quite a few of your readers might be interested in -


. . . there are plenty of cruisy spots in the area. The most predominant being Shinjuku Park where gay sex workers are common
That was certainly true even though the Park was tiny - barely 20m x 50 m - and it was difficult to find it on most maps. The problem is: that Park closed in 2012. When I was there in late April 2013 it was completely enclosed with a large steel barrier prior to total redevelopment. So anyone relying on that information could spend a great deal of time finding the Park and then discovering it had all been wasted. And I have to add there's another piece of misinformation in the same blog post -


There are however, many great venues very welcoming with signage in English and pleasant staff eager to welcome any who arrive. Its generally predicted that as the economy continues to stagnate many more venues in the area will need to be more welcoming in order to survive.
The first part is just not true. Few venues welcome "any who arrive" unless they are with a regular Japanese customer or speak Japanese and are known to the mamasans. The number welcoming foreigners hasn't changed much in the last couple of decades. But the last part of the quote is true. Ni-chome is not surviving well - for a variety of reasons. Walking around the area in late May I noticed even more blocks have succumbed to the wreckers ball. Go there at the week-end and it can still be fun. On a weekday, I'd stick to the apps.

This is meant to be constructive. Gay life is changing so fast in many parts of Asia. Don't update posts that have information related to a specific tme. Start afresh is my advice.

[Buck Bee]

Lol now u have joined in... Actually Surf Crest asked me to post a thread about the blog a few months ago, as he thought it maybe interesting for readers. There has even been a direct feed from my blog on the sawatdee main page for years.

Think what u want man and for the many others that u mentioned but I'm sure they can actually think for themselves and don't actually need you to speak for them :)

[Buck Bee]

I'm not even going to respond to that.... Your posts just go on and on about the same stuff. I have to just scroll over your entire posts before I get a head ache lol

[bucknaway]

The community seems nice but wow this thread is really hostile. I'm going back to my blog bong bong!

My ex boyfriend used to always say bong bong for bye bye hahaha :)

For a less hostile forum, try gaythailand.com
The forum there is engaging and friendly.

[cdnmatt]

well...welll.....well..... i think matty and fountain owe Buck Bee a grovelling apology.

Hardly. There's a chance I'm right, and he was just advertising his blog (again). In that case, don't do that, as there's other more legit ways to get traffic. Try advertising a site in this method on an online marketing forum, and watch what happens. They will tear you a new asshole.

Or there's a chance I'm wrong, and he was just asking a question. In that case, ask stupid questions, get stupid answers. And I'm sorry, but "what's changed in Thailand in the past 5 years" is a stupid question.

[bucknaway]

oh, I will be back in Thailand in October as well. This may be my final trip to Thailand for a while. I am going to give Brazil & Mexico a try. Anyway.... I will be visiting Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai.

My last trip (In April 2016), I only visited Bangkok and Pattaya and found myself being bored and was happy to sit in my room and watch movies on the TV. There was no need for me to go out because I know the streets of Pattaya and Bangkok better than I know the streets in my own town.

I found I was in a rut. I visited in April as I always do. I stayed in the same hotels and condo's. I met the same people and visited the same places.

This trip i'm going to go out with a bang. I won't let any grass grow under my feet. I am going to try new hotels, move around and explore the unknown and meet new people.

Part of me wants to do the safe and comfortable thing and stay where I have always stayed, eat where I always eat and not rock the boat. So when I land I will only be in Bangkok one night before I am flying off to Phuket for the weekend. When Monday comes I hope to be in Chiang Mai. Wednesday I hope to be in Pattaya and after 7 days I plan to be in Bangkok for a few days before dragging my tired ass onto the plane to fly back home.

[bucknaway]

What has changed in the last 5 years?

Bangkok...
You can take the Skytrain from the Airport to Bangkok.

There are now 2 Airports in Bangkok.

Silom, the night market area sometimes takes a break. I forget if it is Sunday or Monday when the night vendors don't set-up.

A lot of the guys are using their cell phones to meet others so make sure you have grindr, planetromeo, jackd and the like loaded on your phone.

The prices in the bars have increased significantly and there are a lot more guys from Cambodia and Vietnam working in the bars.

It is just my opinion but I feel as if tourists are taken for granted now in Thailand. 5 years ago I felt as if the Thai smile was the face of the public welcoming tourists. That smile has been replaced by a blank stare as they run your credit card.

Bangkok's subway is up and running and very popular with locals and tourists but operates on a different payment system than that of the sky train.

What is new in Pattaya?

Wednesday's the beach vendors that rent chairs are not open for business. You can still go to the beach and meet guys but if you want to sit on the sand bring a towel or a stool.

Pattaya is having a problem with Jet Ski scams and they claim to be trying to address the problem.

They installed cameras and flood lights along the beach to discourage crime and prostitution but has caught many folks having sex in the sand.

Pattaya has a gay sauna now. "Sansuk" and just went through a major expansion.

Those are the things that pop into my mind. If I remember anything worth mentioning I will post it.

http://i64.tinypic.com/21l1w5h.jpg

[Moses]

Gents, please take in account: owners of this forum invited topic-starter to forum. Please don't be so hard.

[cdnmatt]

Geez Bucky, you make it sound all pretty drab down south in Bangkok and Pattaya, lol

If anyone is looking for that "Thai smile", it's definitely still up here in Khon Kaen at least. They still seem quite happy to have a white guy around spending his money. Obviously though, dress and act respectfully. You can't act up here same as you would in Pattaya. Wandering around in a wife beater with a bottle of Chang just doesn't go over well here. As long as you're a decent individual though, you will definitely get that "Thai smile", and people will be more than happy to help you out in any small way they can.

Knowing basic Thai is somewhat a necessity, as there's little English spoken. I'm pretty sure people, especially those under 25, know more English than they let on though. They just don't want to use it.

Giks are available here, but tend to be difficult to find. I don't really do that type of thing much, but if you have a little patience and persistence, they are out there. There's no actual gay bars or anything, or at least not that I know of. There's quite a few massage places available -- just hop on Grindr, and you'll see people advertising. Sometimes it's a small shop, other times it's just some guy in his apartment who bought some massage oils / creams.

There's loads of construction all over the place. Large road projects, condo buildings, new housing divisions, etc. Just recently they installed new sewer lines just beside my street -- I'm assuming to get ready for the rainy season, which seems to have started in the past week because it's been pissing down rain.

Not sure how great it would be here for a tourist though. It's kind of a place where you need to live, and not sure if just visiting would be much fun. Simply because you can expect people to be weary of you at first, simply because you are a farang. Give them some time to suss you out and get to know you though, and that "Thai smile" will come out.

[fountainhall]

Gents, please take in account: owners of this forum invited topic-starter to forum. Please don't be so hard.
Sorry Moses but at no point in the early posts did anyone mention the poster had been invited! How could we be expected to know?

But even so, what would happen if one of your guides led guests to historic sites, bars or clubs which had closed? Your guide would have angry customers and the complaints would certainly get back to you. When a blog has posts dated this year but the information is wrong because it is actually around 5 years old, is there any difference? If so, then I'm sorry because I don't see it.

[arsenal]

Now look what you've done Bucky Bee. You've upset our usually genteel and polite membership so that they are squabbling amongst themselves. Whatever next.

[Buck Bee]

Lock me up and throw away the key... but please get me out of this place first. Its actually been quite a bizarre experience visiting this group :love:

[Buck Bee]

Thanks Bucknaway for the info. I cant ever remember using gay aps when I was last in Thailand so that will definitely be different for me. Reminds me of this ad for the Suck, Fuck, Test Campaign. Luv how they just click away and then meet up so quick! Easy as! Brazil and Mexico... I'm jealous, would luv that! :)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51Zyla96B1o

We are going as a group of 5, 2 gay Asian guys, a mate, a female friend and myself for 3 weeks. Probably a week in Bangers, a week down south and a week in Cambodia. That should give me time to catch up with my friends around the place. Really want to go to Isarn as the people there are so genuine but the group wouldn't really want to. And have been talking to a tour guide for Cambodia that Moses suggested to book for a day just to show us around Siam Reap as I have never been there. Apparently the gay night life there is awesome

[Moses]

Sorry Moses but at no point in the early posts did anyone mention the poster had been invited! How could we be expected to know?



Actually, Buck Bee has been a long term contributor to Gay Thailand and his site was hosted on Sawatdee Network for a while, when Elephantspike was still with us.
I've known Buck Bee as a poster for quite some time so, please join me in welcoming him here with us.

Surfcrest


fountainhall, I understand your position... I... I just wanna ask everyone to be more tolerant to members... SGT is famous for it history, but at the same time it is famous cuz it is hard to survive here for "newcomers" and "returners" ... And this, second point, making me sad sometimes. I'm not sure if each topic here should include some "fighting of Alpha-males" :drink: :kiss:

[Buck Bee]

To be honest I only really came here as I knew Moses and Surfcrest from before and said years ago to them that I would join and never did as I know what forums can be like. I eventually did join yesterday as I thought that it would be good to get involved in the group but as I found out today.... Yep unfortunately there is just too much drama on forums. I really feel for Moses and Surfcrest trying to deal with it on a daily basis :heart:

[cdnmatt]

No, dude... can you confirm you made this thread to advertise your blog?

If I'm right and that's the case, why didn't you just start a thread with the title, "My Gay Thailand Blog"? You had permission from Surfcrest and Moses to do so. No reason to go the guerilla marketing route, as that's generally a pretty sleazy way to go about things.

[Buck Bee]

Bong bong and good night I have to catch up on 2 episodes of Air Crash Investigations on Foxtel Go :dirol_mini:

[Buck Bee]

Am I like in another world today? :D

[Faranglaw]

I think you mean wary, not weary.

[cdnmatt]

I think you mean wary, not weary.

Fuck yeah, that's what this thread was missing. Picking apart people's misspellings.

Looks like we're good to go now though. :)

[Faranglaw]

As a relative newbie my first thought also was, why is BuckBee advertising his blog here? I didn't mind terribly. I thought cdnmatt was a bit over the top with his language, but perhaps there's "history."

But fountainhall's posts seem very fair comment. A blog relying on five year old information is useless and frustrating to people who try to follow that information. Why is it considered unwelcoming to point that out? By correcting outdated information, fountainhall is doing a sevice, it seems to me.

[Faranglaw]

Fuck yeah, that's what this thread was missing. Picking apart people's misspellings.

Looks like we're good to go now though. :)

I wouldn't have bothered except it really does change the meaning you are trying to convey. It was meant to be helpful, not offensive. Why do you take offense so?

[cdnmatt]

I wouldn't have bothered except it really does change the meaning you are trying to convey. It was meant to be helpful, not offensive. Why do you take offense so?

Don't worry, I was just joking around. I don't actually care. :)

I'm just hanging out until Monday, until Leo shows up.

[Faranglaw]

OK, glad I clarified then. Ah yes, Leo the Lao. Good luck.

[Buck Bee]

Faranglaw I totally agree with you that I was unfair with FountainMan as he was trying to help. I've taken an aspirin re-read his loooong posts this morning and will put his recommendations into action. His points are fair. I guess I just heaped him in with the rest of the gang attacking here. My bad :p:heart:

With the real dates I should be able to get them off webarchive. I've realized why the blog is a little jumbled is because when I re setup the blog after it was closed and offline for a long time, I did it so there was an image, then an article, then a video and then an article etc thinking that it would look better but what it actually did was jumble it up too much

If you read my posts I only mentioned the blog once and not even in this thread. Its in my signature and Im under the understanding that signatures are welcome here

In regard to posting here, I dont see the issue, its a gay forum to introduce gay stuff and I had permission from the owner of the forum but its obvious from this experience that there is a core group of members here who are not so welcoming of new comers and will fiercely going into attacking mode defending their turf

Ive paid for advertising over at Facebook and have it up over 1000 likes and will just build on that audience as it seem more genuine and will not post about the blog here anymore :lol:

[Buck Bee]

It would be so hilarious for members here to have a meet and greet session at a pub the built up drama and emotion would be priceless :lol:

[Buck Bee]

@ FountainMan. Ive updated the article. Thanks for you input. Please see towards the very bottom of the article

http://www.asiaguys.net/gay-asia-travel-tokyo-japan

If you have any other updates or corrections for other articles please post them in the comments section of the blog so I can update

[fountainhall]

Faranglaw I totally agree with you that I was unfair with FountainMan as he was trying to help. I've taken an aspirin re-read his loooong posts this morning and will put his recommendations into action. His points are fair. I guess I just heaped him in with the rest of the gang attacking here. My bad :p:heart:
I appreciate your comment - thank you. If it is any help, I will happily write an update on Tokyo for your blog - a sort of Tokyo revisited - purely on a friendly basis and a thank you to Moses and Surfcrest for keeping this site open. If you would like that, please PM me. No obligation for you to use any of what I write.

[a447]

I just checked Buck Bee's blog and was glad to see he had made the changes to his post on Tokyo, as suggested by fountainhall. He has attributed the update to fountainhall, too.

The photo of Shinjuku ni-chome, taken from Wikipedia, should also be changed, as it is showing a different area of Tokyo. Kabukicho,

[Buck Bee]

Thanks... done.. changed the caption

[fountainhall]

The photo of Shinjuku ni-chome, taken from Wikipedia, should also be changed, as it is showing a different area of Tokyo. Kabukicho,
I have a few photos - 3 of Ni-chome and two general taken over the years. You are welcome to use any.

I do think any Guide to Tokyo should mention two other entertainment outlets - saunas and host boy bars. There are now many restrictions on foreigners in most of the gay saunas - i.e must be under 40 and so on - but the 24 chain with its 3 saunas in Asakusa (not to be confused with the more central Akasaka!), Ueno and Shinjuku Ni-chome happily welcome everyone. The one in Shinjuku is large and very popular on week-ends with a good variety from students to older chubby guys. Walking around the large bathing area and the adjacent corridors linking the steam rooms, rain shower room, private showers and sauna you can see some great eye candy! Ueno is also worth the 15 minute or so walk from Ueno station as there are often hunkier, more working class types. The original 24 in Asakusa - near the famous Senso-ji Temple - has more older guys, but you will still find some younger. You will not always be successful but it can provide a great afternoon or evening.

Check out the thread "Suggestions Please" about arsenal's forthcoming holiday. He has decided to go to Japan. There are photos there of the offerings to be had in Japan's many gay host bars. They will not be everyone's cup of tea, but the range of gorgeous guys is quite staggering if you are into thinks. I am sure there are others with beefier types.

I am attaching some photos which you are welcome to use without attribution if you so wish.

3874
Shinjuku_Main Avenue

3875
Bar Signs in Ni-Chome Building

3876
Host Boy Bar Signs in Ni-chome

3877
Shinjuku 24 Sauna

3878
Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa

And of course there are the apps. Guys in Japan have taken to them the same as everywhere. Hornet, Grindr and Jack'd all work well for Japanese looking for foreigners and many guys still use Gay Romeo - and even Gaydar. No doubt this is one reason for Ni-chome becoming less popular as a hook-up centre as it is now in general more a place to have a night out with friends.

[frequent]

well...well...well....Latin, of all people, calling on others to make an apology - and a
"grovelling" one at that.

What a hide you have, Latin!

If anyone has to apologise, it's you, for making countless contradictory posts on the forum over the years and then always refusing to explain yourself. Twice in just the last week, for god's sake!

Jeez, reading some of your posts is like stumbling into a re-run of Perry Mason. It's like one of those Youtube posts of dogs with a juicy bone they won't let go, or kittens with a ball of string

[Buck Bee]

@ Fountain message sent, please check your PMs. Thanks for the extra info and awesome images maybe we can do an update on Tokyo as a new article with you as a guest writer

[a447]

Mmm...I wonder who "frequent" could be.

Let me see now..........

lol