My first trip to Pattaya

[Oliver]

I can identify with all of this. My first trip was in '95 and after living a straight life until I turned forty-five, I was overwhelmed by the experience. Indeed, two years later, I took early retirement, accepting the loss of income that this would entail, so that I could visit Pattaya when I wanted. A few years (and many offs) later, I was fortunate enough to meet the love of my life.
And yes, even now, after seventy plus trips, I share snotface's ambivalence about many aspects of Pattaya life . The major change in my routines now is that P. and I spend the first week of my trips in another location....currently, the undervalued city of Chiang Rai. I shall be delighted when I arrive in Pattaya next week but no longer wish to spend so long there. I shall always remember that first night in August 1995 and my astonishment at what was on offer. And the smell that wafted-up from the drains outside Moonlight in Second Road.

[poshglasgow]

An excellent piece of nostalgia, Snotface (I do get embarrassed writing the name 'Snotface').

Yes, I recall Jomtien beach back in 1993, the date of my first trip. Two years after that, Channel 4's Dispatches programme focussed on reports of underage boys in Boystown and Jomtien and conducted an interview with an underage lad on Jomtien beach in the presence of Father Ray. Does anyone else remember that programme and the subsequent piling into the same salacious scenarios by the News of the Screws and other tabloids. Dispatches focussed on Jomtien Beach and a hotel in Soi Post Office called something like the Sun and Sand or it could have been the Sun and Sea. There were claims of nefarious goings-on, where a German Farang teacher was the focus of attention!! The same programme mentioned a certain "piano bar".

The first bar I entered in 1993 was Memory Bar in Naklua (the soi's name was perhaps something like Wongamat). Anyway, it was jumping with twinks and my first off was a guy called Lat. I was staying at the Penthouse which, in those days, was half gay / half straight. Lat spent the night with me. I recall that the owner of Memory returned to the North of England and I heard on the 'gayline' that he killed himself.

It was in that same year when I was speaking to Madam Jim at the Ambiance that he mentioned an area called Sunee Plaza......the rest. as they say, is history.

Let's have more of these posts (trips down memory lane). I hope other members will pile into this thread with their own memories of Pattaya in days of old.

[poshglasgow]

Oliver is there a 'gay scene' in Chiang Rai (bars/go-go etc)?

[Oliver]

None at all.

[billyhouston]

I can identify with all of this. My first trip was in '95 and after living a straight life until I turned forty-five, I was overwhelmed by the experience. Indeed, two years later, I took early retirement, accepting the loss of income that this would entail, so that I could visit Pattaya when I wanted.

1997 was a good year for early retirement, but only if it was on or before 31 August? :-)