Thai Hero Worship: Aof Pongsak...and more from Thaiboygay

[travelerjim]

Thaiboygay website is featuring a story about
Aof Pongsak - rapidly rising Thai Singer...

http://thaiboygay.blogspot.com/

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/travelerjim/AofPongsak.jpg

"Is Grammy singer 'Aof' Pongsak worthy of hero-worship status?
The second runner-up in the first season of the Academy Fantasia talent contest,
he has emerged as one of Thailand's leading singers of pop songs and love ballads.
He also acts.

More importantly, his sensible behaviour serves as a role model
for young Thais, including gay youngsters who regard Aof as one of them.

here is You Tubes link to Aof...Enjoy his singing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MueuHPrZ7J4

read more...

And thaiboygay also features "Ajoo in Thailand"...
now in concert in Bangkok ...from Korea - he is performing with many Thai stars.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/travelerjim/AjooofKorea.jpg

Welcome to Korean singer, dancer and pianist Ajoo. Just 17, he is visiting Thailand
to meet his fans, and will perform in a mini-concert with other artists on Sunday,
and again on Tuesday.

Ajoo will join Thai singers and stars from Taiwan in a mini-concert at
Central World department store, Zone B, on Sunday at 4pm.
On Tuesday, he will perform at Discovery Plaza at Siam Discovery, from 2pm.

Further down the web page appears: Spot Check

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/travelerjim/SpotCheck.jpg

"A Thai man in his 20s boarded the bus. He was with his mother, who was in her 50s.

"The young man was good-looking, but had been admired before.
When I cast a glance at him, I felt he was aware of my gaze.
He was used to people admiring his clear-faced appearance..."

a good read...

and the story about the Kateuy Toilets..

"The age of the kateuy toilet has arrived.
A temple in Rayong has built a toilet specifically
for women of the second gender, as they are also known
(men who want to change their sex).

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/travelerjim/toilet.jpg

Thanks thaiboygay for sharing and your blog...
this is Thailand :-)

Toilets for katoys, hehe, only in Thailand. I can't stop loving a country where people do this kind of things. Tumps up :cheers: :bounce:

My BF says Khun Aof is definitely gay.. no matter how many girls he has in his videos. LOL
It's known by all.. but not discussed in the media.

It's known by all.. but not discussed in the media.Something that should be remembered by all who fantasise about Thailand being a "gay paradise" - homosexuality is not approved; since the Thais are not confrontational Westerners seem not to notice the disapproval

[Alaan]

Yes JakeNasty....it would seem that Aof Pongsak is indeed gay. I went to see him at the Night Station disco in Patong,Phuket last October with my friend and 3 other gay boys. We arrived at 11-pm and announcements during the evening built up the excitement, with some help from the whiskey bottles, and he finally made the stage at 3am..for a whopping 30 minutes of live singing to backing tapes!.. no live band or musicians with him! The crowd round the stage was 80% female and 20% male.....and they all adored him...but he only ever smiled at, took flowers from, and shook the hand...... of cute boys...

He sang well, but the songs did not appeal to my tastes as they were slow, sugary,poppy and all sounded the same.. i have tried to listen to his cd..but i come to the same conclusion. For Thai music outside of the 'music for life' artists [whose music i enjoy the most] i prefer.. Ster/ Sweet Mullet /Labanoon /Clash/Loso/Modern Dog ..something with a bit of oomph/noise/guitars!

One of my friends who works as a coyote dancer at Kiss in Patong, said that the 'superstar' had called his contact in My Way earlier in the evening to arrange for one of the My Way gogo guys to meet him after his stint at Night Station.

I find the Homintern "homosexuality is not approved" comment a bit over dramatic.......so i will generalise too and say that it seems.....in general, and in my experience, as I witnessed first hand on my last trip to my gay friend's home in February, that Thais have more of a "couldn't give a shit what your preferences are" attitude provided you are decent human being..rather than being bothered with having to approve of or disapprove of your sexual persuasion.

I think the reason some of the personal details of personalities are not discussed too openly in the media[in Thailand anyway] is more the fear of legal repercussions if any lines are crossed and of course record company and/or film company pressure to make sure the artists appeal to the broadest spectrum of cd/movie purchasers as possible. I'm fairly sure that current boybands/artists admitting to having girlfriends/boyfriends isn't damped down because of a disapproving public..... more that there is a possibility of putting off potential 'puppy love' merchandise purchasers.

I think the Thai level of disapproval is the same as any other race/country if they come across the inappropriate behavior of certain foreigners when in public with either male or female companions or if the news reports the most recent gogo bar/massage joint raid.

My friend is one of only two openly gay boys in his village[moo-ban] as well as a couple of katoeys [who are simply regarded as female by all]But as far as I can see and from any feedback i have received.. is that all the family of my friend [about 20..parents/sisters/uncles/aunties/cousins etc] as well as dozens of friends/locals.. and also including the tough looking tattooed guys/men and their girlfriends who we all interacted with..certainly were more interested in the substance of the person than who they share their bed with...i believe the reason i didn't SEEM to notice their 'disapproval' was because it simply wasn't there... but i can assure you the approval of my openly gay friend by all in his extended family and village WAS definitely and obviously there for all to see.

Just my personal observations.

I find the Homintern "homosexuality is not approved" comment a bit over dramatic.......so i will generalise too and say that it seems.....in general, and in my experience, as I witnessed first hand on my last trip to my gay friend's home in February, that Thais have more of a "couldn't give a shit what your preferences are" attitude provided you are decent human being..rather than being bothered with having to approve of or disapprove of your sexual persuasion. I guess if you want to generalise based solely on your personal experiences you are entitled to live in your own fantasy world and believe it to be reality. However if you go to the "Thailand" Tab from this link you will find a number of articles from the Thai press about Thai attitudes to homosexuality - http://au.geocities.com/homintern/

Perhaps homintern is under the impression that people hate him because he is a homosexual, when really they simply just hate him because he is an arsehole.