Recommendations on how to hook up as a young visitor?

[sglad]

I would recommend that you befriend a Thai who will hang around with you as a companion, translator etc especially in the young Thai hangout places in Bangkok.
You might have to buy the drinks, pay the taxi/bts etc but it will be well worth it.
It will allow you to choose who you wish to approach as touts and freeloaders tend to leave you alone when you have company.
Soi 4 has a lot of Thai freeloaders I find, but the minute you speak some Thai they're gone:
They only want fresh-off-the-plane soft marks.

Bangkok is geared towards all manner of tourism - you don't really need a guide to find a sex partner.

The places where "young Thais hangout" tend to have much less commercial undercurrents than the places which attract farang so you don't really need a "human sieve" to filter out the potential freeloaders. By all means go with Thai friends to socialise and make new friends.. Being stuck to one guy would actually work to your disadvantage; it might send out the signal that you're not available and present all sorts of jealousy-related problems if you do find someone that you like (other than the guide).

This whole buying dinner, paying for taxi, picking up the tab business may be the S.O.P. for the typical farang-moneyboy liaison but may not be the case with everybody. Never assume that your new friend has no money or of inferior socio-economic status to you. Bangkok is full of young, friendly, attractive gay guys from across the socio-economic spectrum, many of whom can pay their own way. There are plenty of gorgeous professional Thai guys in their mid twenties to early thirties who will take you out and entertain you if you fit the bill of what they're looking for.