Before we go any further, I feel the need to preface my postings with a caveat that should be obvious but instead seems to be often overlooked by frequent posters to this board: these are my opinions and my observations filtered through my tastes, beliefs, outlook on life, etc. So they may vary greatly from yours. But thatтАЩs OK, to each his own. It does not mean IтАЩm right, or that you are wrong (though IтАЩd tend to side on my being right more so than whatever silly little opinion you hold dear as having any actual value). Uh, I should probably also tell you up front I have a rather dry and sarcastic sense of humor . . . live with it.

IтАЩve read this board for decades. Posted a few times during my last trip to Bangkok; posts which were met without too much rancor (mahalos). And feeling obligated to return the favor of sharing information decided to post a series of musings from my current visit. I will endeavor to be explicit in my reviews of venues, providing a basis for my statements (i.e. тАЬBest bar in Bangkok as the guys are all built like Greek GodsтАЭ) as opposed to generalized statements like тАШhottest guys in townтАЩ which tells one little as how you define hot may be quite different from my definition of the term. And in the future, I wish you all would do the same . . . IтАЩve visited too many bars over the years based on recommendations from this board only to find that тАШhas the cutest guys of any barтАЩ translates into a bevy of bois whose average age looks to be about 12 and who collectively remind me of my little sister - the ugly one. And so, on to the bars . . .

With the lack of an influx of visitors due to recent political rumblings and the general economic collapse of the worldтАЩs markets, I was surprised to find most of the bars quite full of customers. But mostly Thai customers. And as one of my long time bar boi friends summed it up, тАЬJust looking, no cookingтАЭ. Guys that normally get offed nightly are now dealing with trying to subside on once a week offs instead. Not a happy group of campers!

Dream Boys seemed to draw the biggest crowd and continues to reign champion in choreographed shows. But that title only holds true if you need a plot to your porn. And I really wish theyтАЩd stop having their ladyboys whip out those humongous cocks - IтАЩm not a fan of ladyboys in general and having one display her horse like member only makes mine shrivel up for protection. The guys run the gamut from twinky little queens to buffed out studs; a range for all tastes. The ladyboy mamasans are far too pushy at Dream Boys in my opinion, but then I guess that is their job. IтАЩve found the best defense to the more aggressive ones is to reach down and give one of their tits a tweak and then look aghast that it is fake (or real) . . . that tends to make them scurry off to safer climes. The fucking part of the show is not as acrobatic as in some bars, but the night I visited the bottom guy was more masculine than usual - a plus in my book. Oh, and donтАЩt sit within the first three rows of the stage - at least one of their acts will get you wet. When the show culminates in two couples fucking, thatтАЩs your cue to head out for a smoke or a restroom break if you donтАЩt relish having one of the fornicating duos come lay across your lap. And for you whining curs that detest cigarette smoke, Dream Boys seems to be the only Soi Twilight bar that actually bans smoking.

Future Boys still suffers under the misguided tutelage of their new manager. I was amazed earlier in the year when they appointed a new manager more dour in expression that the old curmudgeon who previously ran the place. Future used to boast 100 boys on stage, now the number has dwindled to a few dozen. . . maybe. Plenty of twinks, one or two nicely toned guys, and a few in serious need of a diet. But lots of hard cock on display and their fucking show can get quite raunchy. Future pushes drinks more than they do boys, but IтАЩve always found their captains to be friendly and more attentive than aggressive (though outside, their barkers are the most aggressive on the soi). FutureтАЩs shows run from ladyboy acts to the aforementioned fucking act and could use some serious editing as the overall length of the production becomes tedious.

Hot Male redesigned its entrance with a pool room off the right half way up the stairs. DonтАЩt ask me why. It bas yet to be used. Watch your step, as the height of the new stairs varies greatly from step to step. IтАЩm not sure why this bar always seemed to be the most packed with customers, though that they charge 30 baht per drink less than most of the bars might have something to do with it. Hot Male has maybe two dozen guys, most in the semi-toned boy next door mode though a few were outright flammers and two or three had nicely developed bodies. They also can lay claim to having the oldest bar boy on the soi . . . though he looks younger, one of the guys is in his late 40тАЩs and used to be at Dream Boys when it was on the other side of Suriwong a decade or more ago. Their show is concise with short acts moving from a choreographed dance number through the typical тАШbig cock showтАЩ, a romantic sucking bit and then a fucking show where a third guy joins the first two on stage and tops the guy that was previously doing the topping (and again, this is your cue to head for the hills if you donтАЩt want an up close and personal experience).

The guys at Tawan are looking real good these days. Big, beefy, muscled . . . just the way I like them. The latest uniform is a leopard print jock strap. Nice. Yeah, most are straight and prefer to be worshiped rather than perform when you off them, but itтАЩs not as difficult as many seem to think to get one of these lads to тАШsmokeтАЩ and several will even bottom if you keep it discrete. IтАЩve offed more guys from Tawan than any other bar over the years and have yet to be disappointed - but then IтАЩm very up-front about what I want before taking a guy for the night. If you like the younger effeminate type of boy, this is not the bar for you. I was quite pleased that they have seemed to drop both the ladyboy acts and comedian acts from their show . . . maybe the economic downturn has some positive aspects after all. Their show starts with a pose down, quickly moves to several sucking acts, a two couple fucking act (they seem to bring in a few more effeminate guys just for the fucking as these guys never hit the stage again) and then a jack off contest. So lots of hard cock and action throughout. And a smoke free environment . . . which is a shame.

Sorry, thatтАЩs all the bars I managed to hit during the first part of this trip because after several decades of visiting Thailand I finally fell in love with a bar boy . . . . (and thatтАЩs a whole different post!)