Some observations from the village & some gay life in Issan

[anonone]

Another great write up. Thanks for putting that together NewAlan.

I don't have much to add, as I have not been up to Isan for a year or so.

It is amazing how much emphasis is put on the dreams for the lucky numbers...and how there is always money to play numbers, no matter what else is going on.

BF mentioned that they can buy lucky number on credit. Not sure if this is some enterprising loan shark operation or what, but if true I am surprised some Thais don't get into real trouble with that. Thankfully, BF and family seem to play fairly responsibly.

Anyway, thanks again for your post. An excellent read.

[newalaan2]

I don't have much to add, as I have not been up to Isan for a year or so.

Thanks anonone and others for comments, but I wish you did make regular visits there and could 'add', I am keen to find out other member's experiences in Issan (or elsewhere).

BF mentioned that they can buy lucky number on credit.

There are two lottery number games. The main officially sanctioned one and a local one. I say 'local' because each is local to organiser/area etc. In bf village there is a huge black-market one, and yes many 'bets' can be and are taken on credit but from what bf tells me, they have to be paid pretty quickly, certainly before the next lottery, except for 'VIP' customers. Bf calls in to his local unofficial village lottery even if we are in Bkk/Pattaya, one of his family members is an agent, and there is far more money placed on local lotteries than the official one. She carries just a small book around with her. On the two lottery days 1st and 16th of month she is busy from morning till night taking 'last minute' bets and then organising payment collection and payouts. Those two days are when BFs phone credit gets totally used up as they discuss pre-lottery numbers and then post-lottery blues as they duscuss to what extent they have 'arom-sia' (bad mood) when it is confirmed they have lost. As many have commented already for an area where Bt300 is average daily wage there is always money to be found for betting.

More on betting....
"Len Pie" or play cards is very popular in Issan. In bfs village all holidays and deaths/funerals are no-work days and playing cards is very popular. On these days police turn a blind-eye. But on normal days card playing is very 'underground' usually only 4-6 players use different homes in the village and regularly move around these various homes paying about Bt120 per "session" to the home owner to use a room. They do so because card playing is also the number one method used as revenge tactics by villagers who have a bone to pick or issue with an neighbour or other villager and more police are called to anonymously reported card games than any other reason in the village as villagers exact petty revenge for some dispute. It happens a lot. Off to monkey-house, aka local police station and pay a fine. Then a heap of gossip about who 'could' be responsible for the call. It's quite entertaining actually.

Where do the couples go when they disappear from the party/concert? Outdoor sex?

There are options. Outdoor sex is one of them. Lego has already mentioned the 'shack' in the rice fields option, and it is. Dotted around most country areas are small bamboo/rattan structures like the type u see motocy taxi drivers sitting in in some places. they are maybe 6' x6' and are used by paddy field workers for food breaks etc, but are also for nocturnal hunters, for field rats, fishing bait, insects etc.. they have a grass roof, you've probably seen them heaps of times. They are ideal for and are used for countryside liaisons.

Yes, sometimes a house or room in a house can be made availabe but the most popular in bfs area is one of the 'resorts' near village, there are probably about 6 of such places within a motocy ride. One party will take the room (often Bt250 4 hours), and the other party will arrive by motocy when the first has checked-in and the coast is clear. However near bfs home, and I'm sure it's fairly common, one down-at-heals resort has a very old aircon room where resort workers, friends of workers use for free afternoon sleeps, and it is used on a 'favour' for 'later favours' basis as well as discount short time room usage for favoured locals. There is already a set, well trodden path to known spots.

Would a single Farang, or one accompagnied by a Thai "just friend" have a chance to participate?

For what it's worth, a couple of years ago I disappeared with a "straight" guy at such an event.

Thanks for giving an example of and proving that hook ups are possible in certain circumstances in Issan with farangs Lego.
First to say anything is possible, the amount of times I had found out later of a str8 or married guy having taken a resort room with a katoey or gay femme boy. Single farang hooking up with local Thai boy is absolutely possible, that is how I met my bf. But that took 3 visits over a few months and a few karaoke nights out in the same company before we finally 'got together' .

Thai language skills would def help, but it's ALL down to circumstances. I have seen 'not particularly attractive' slightly older katoeys come into the area for the karaokes with cash and land up with a party back at the resort. Close friends have also confirmed this to bf in the past. I can't see how a westerner wouldn't be able to do the same, although there may be expectation of farang paying for room or beer etc..as boys of this age are horny all the time I can imagine gay lads who have never encountered a westerner being curious, if boozy...well the chances just improved by a huge percentage. But it might depend the basis on which you are in the area. Who your Thai (or as in Lego's case, westerner) friend is, because you would need to have an introduction as a very basic requirement.

You have to remember it's not about all about money just because u are a foreigner. There is prostitution all around in Issan between str8's, karaoke gals who go with local lads for Bt500 or whatever, all those 'twinkly lights' karaokes are just that, so money changes hands from thai to thai for services rendered all the time. The Resort I use which has karaoke, restaurant and is quite 'well to do' in the area, but the 'boss' can provide the services of females for company in the VIP karaokes or short time hook ups. However there is a 'finders fee' in addition to the tip. My straight friend from whom I borrow the pick-up I use does accompany us at times to Issan and he was offered options on a couple of visits. You just have to accept 'anything' is possible...and it is, but there are no guarantees, things can change or progress very quickly depending on circumstances.

I'm not telling anything many of you don't know already, certainly those visit country areas regularly but I imagine some areas are more open to opportunities than others.

But just a note on 'goings-on'. Foreigners are oblivious to or don't really understand the importance of 'gossip' between Thais/Thai lads, if you are in any way leak-prone or loose-tongued that will debar you from knowing many things, you have to be trusted........it is a the whole basis for many things 'happening' in Issan and elsewhere, as I have said in a previous thread these gay guys could easily work as private investigators or the C.I.A with their ability to keep quiet, but in general most folks are the same, if they see something untoward happening they will only tell their closest and most trusted friend(s).

There are one or two gay lads very unpopular in the area purely because of their inability to keep quiet, the hassle this can cause is immense.......it leads to confrontations, loss of face and things normal thais just don't have a place for in their lives. I still after all these years cannot accurately judge when it is ok to discuss/gossip with bf and not. Sometimes he will respond positively and explain in great detail, other times it's "you talk too much" "You ask too many questions for a foreigner" "it's NOT for you to know" I think though it depends on bf's whims and mood that particular day.

What happened 'last night' stays 'last night' forever unless it gives rise to some problem or other. 99% of the time once something happens that is the end of it, no repercussions, no lengthy gossip discussions. What never ceases to amaze me is seeing a motocy outside a resort room, my bf, the reception guy, friends know whose it is, but it is as if there is no motcy there, nobody took a room, nobody paid to use the room.......no wonder they all believe in fucking ghosts, a good chunk of life is lived as if they were! Even where two guys go off with eachother in front of 'the crowd' nobody will acknowledge it. Only nosey foreigners like me ask 'too many questions'!

[colmx]

Would a single Farang, or one accompagnied by a Thai "just friend" have a chance to participate?

When my BF was having has house warming party - maybe 7-8 years ago we filled a minibus with around 15 Pattaya Gay boys and brought them to his village (plus myself and another farang)

Each of the pattaya boys (with the exception of 1) had multtiple liasons with the local village boys, a bottle of Lao Khao and a bit of generosity in sharing it goes a long way!

The farang friend ended up bringing one of the village boys back to pattaya with him... They had spent the whole day drinking and the boy eloped with the farang when he minibus arrived... all was rosey until they got to pattaya that was and they both sobered up!

Then neither of them wanted anything to do with each other!

Of course I ended up having to pay for the Villages boys buses back to buriram!

On another occasion a finnish friend and his Thai BF came to visit, it was january so quite chilly.
The finnish guys BF went to bed and my friend started sweet talking one of the cute boys named Doe
Doe and him sat closer to keep warm and a few minutes later went for a "walk" down the road...

Finnish guy came back very happy afterwards, and Doe had the 500B he needed to fix his mtorbike!

[christianpfc]

Thanks a lot for everyone who contributed, my visits to Esan are short and rare, so I didn't experience anything like this.

But I can chime in on the gambling. There are two gambling places I know of, both are decorated with pictures of football players on the outside (so you can't look inside when walking past).

Another one is on Silom road, right amongst the stalls on the street. and easily to recognize because it's fully view-proof (plastic foil all around), but when someone goes in or out you can catch a look. I have seen this place on some times when I was walking in Silom.

[francois]

Finnish guy came back very happy afterwards, and Doe had the 500B he needed to fix his mtorbike!

colmx; the mention of 500 TB just destroyed Christian's fantasy of sex with a village boy. (

[christianpfc]

On a recent disco night, Burmese Woman asked me which of her friends (she brought four male friends) I like, and it sounded like I can choose who is coming with me tonight. I declined.

But last year, we were in a similar situation, and her cute friend went with me, most probably because I am her friend and she told him to go with me.

So it seems if you invite friends (gay, but just friends) for party from time to time, you can get their gay friends for sex for free under certain circumstances.

Actually I tried something similar with straight guys in my area, befriend them, spend some Baht on food and drink a few times, hoping to get something in return. Didn't work.

[lego]

So it seems if you invite friends (gay, but just friends) for party from time to time, you can get their gay friends for sex for free under certain circumstances.

That's really a weird statement. You party with gays, and (at least) occasionally it happens that you and one of these other gays want to have sex together? Big surprise there! I think you won't find any place in the world where that's any different... Did I miss something?

[Smiles]

Christian seems to very often get anecdotal 'observations' and cut in stone 'laws-of-the-game' mixed up.
Someone comes along with some behavioral observations and he somehow extrapolates that such occurances happen every time, everywhere (in Isaan): no exceptions.
Nonsense of course.
Who knows what goes on in the jungle at any given time or space ... but a trip out into the boonies to confirm Christian's neurotic need- to-believe seems rather ludicrous, and a bit creepy.