Hi you maniacs.
Returning home to a dusty office, a stack of junk mail a mile high and a work schedule which involves me traveling to 14 states during the next 3 month work period is just too much fun, especially after spending the last 3 months enjoying the fruits of life at my leisure without ever having to look at my watch. Kahlil Gibran stated in his book “The Profit” that there is an absolute equal balance between Joy and Sorrow in this life - which always becomes crystal clear to me at times like this.
This 3 month stay in LaLa Land marks my 30th trip in 15 years and was planned as a sort of test trip to help me prepare for retirement in about 1-1/2 years’ time. My plan was to live for 3 months in Thailand adopting a similar lifestyle that I would be living during retirement to experience first-hand what it will be like living on a budget versus throwing my money around at the bars as the typical holiday goer. I have to say that the results were very favorable.
I’ve been a Sunee regular for all these years and with the obvious disintegration of the scene in Sunee (and Boyztown) avoiding the bars at night was an easy task. I hate to see the changes that are going on – with so many great memories, but strangely surprised at the fact that the scene is drying up at the same time as I had planned to dry up.
The boy who I am coupled with does not drink or have any interest in bars, or for that fact, nightlife in general, with the exception of a movie theater or late night brunch at one of the Thai food markets which worked out well. We both have hobbies which consumed a fair portion of our time which didn’t involve spending money. He is a very shy home-body type person with a passion for fashion design. He enjoys spending hours each day painting pictures of women’s couture dresses with an equal amount of time spent sewing, embroidering and applying sequins and other sparkly things to his wonderful creations. He is truly gifted and sells his dresses on consignment to various clothing stores in Buri Ram when completed. I enjoy writing song lyrics, playing my guitar, swimming, and most of all, trying to seduce him when he’s concentrating so hard on putting the needle those those tiny holes in the sequins.
The bottom line is that I ended up spending about 70% less this holiday as I have in the past just by avoiding the Boys…Bars…and Beer. Another way of saying this I guess is that I have been spending 70% of my money for the past 15 years on Boys…Bars…and Beer which doesn’t surprise me in the least and for which I have absolutely no complaints, just glad to see that with a little lifestyle change living on a budget during retirement won’t be so hard after all.
Latching on to a low maintenance non-money boy was certainly a key contributor to this outcome, but the most challenging part was resisting the nightly call-of-the-wild which has been engrained in me since birth, but with a little effort I was able to slip into my new lifestyle painlessly. I did not have anything to do with any boy other than my partner for this 3 month test holiday, which, in-and-by-itself, is nothing short of a miracle. No gogo bars, no massage parlors, no short times with the beach bunnies, etc., just a great time with a great partner who is very thrifty and places a lot of emphasis on saving money which contributed greatly to this positive outcome.
I had to undergo major eye surgery in April shortly after I arrived in country to repair a small macular hole in the retina of my right eye. I had this done at Rutnin Eye Hospital in Bangkok which was recommended to me by several expat friends. The surgery went well, although required 5 trips from PTY to BKK during the process. The insurance policy with Liberty Mutual Group (LMG) I picked up during my previous holiday reimbursed me the full amount 10 days after the surgery was performed and transferred the funds via electronic payment into my account at Kashikorn which was great. This policy which is designed for expats costs $32,000 TBT/year, provides a maximum coverage of 1 million TBT per medical incident for in-patient services only and does not cover preexisting conditions. They do not have age limits, although assess policies each year after a policy holder reaches age 65 and may either raise the policy cost and decline coverage based on history. I wasn’t sure how good this policy was going to be when I purchased it last October – but they reimbursed me 200,000 TBT with no problem so I’m happy.
I obtained an O-A Non Immigrant Visa, loosely referred to as a retirement visa, in the U.S. just prior to my trip which was another first for me. I’ve been traveling to LOS for the past 15 years on a tourist visa which of course had to be extended every holiday to cover my 3 month stay and the O-A visa now covers me for a year. I went through the 90 day reporting process for the first time at the immigration office in PTY which was really a breeze.
Jay (my partner) and I spent more time in Bang Saray than in Pattaya this holiday simply because he prefers the calmer environment and I wasn’t interested in the bar scene anymore. This also gave me more of a glimpse into my lifestyle at retirement time and allowed me the time to explore the place a bit more. I purchased a studio condo there 2 years ago, completed the renovation and furnishing of the unit last holiday, and for the first time started enjoying it. We first started visiting for 1 and 2 night stays, but then expanded our stays to full weeks at a time as the place started growing on us. The building where my unit is housed has a small spa swimming pool and exercise room which we got into a routine of using daily. The beach at Bang Saray has clean water for swimming, plenty of food carts, lots of eye candy (all Thai), especially on the weekends when the promenade is crammed with visitors from Bangkok. We enjoyed sitting along the beach front in the evenings after dinner when all the people were gone to watch the sunset…great foreplay!
Bang Saray, for those who don’t know, is a small fishing village located between Na Jomtien and Sattahip and is a 25 minute motorbike ride from Pattaya. It sits right next to the Royal Thai Naval Base along the ocean – straddled by mountains known as the Sattahip Highlands which are owned and controlled by the Navy. Mountains in the back - ocean in the front - friendly Thai people in between…I loved the place the first minute I saw it. There is a healthy farang population there, many from Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Scotland, etc., and there are two other Americans residing in my building. There are plenty of good restaurants (Thai and farang), and a half dozen bars mostly populated by str8 farangs and their Thai girlfriends. Jay and I never encountered any problems or even the slightest hint that we were not accepted there, although gays are few and far between. Jay has a bit of a social anxiety disorder and doesn’t go anywhere where he senses bad karma but felt totally at ease at the public places in Bang Saray which was really quite a relief for me.
The Naval base is an experience. You can enter by just showing an ID card and have full access to the thousands of rai of land comprised on the compound. Jay and I spent an entire day once just exploring the place including a stop at the navy commissary which sells food, clothing, kitchen supplies, etc. at discounted rates similar to a PX at a western military base. I wasn’t even sure if we would be permitted to enter the place – let alone make a purchase, but to our surprise we were free to enter and buy whatever we liked at military prices. With an entrance to the base being within walking distance from my condo – I’ll never go to another 7/11 again. They also have four stocked lakes and an 18 hole golf course which are also open to farang visitors, as well as the use of Seai Keau Beach (SP?) which is a 10 minute ride over a mountain which is also navy owned.
I have very little to report about the bars because, frankly, I didn’t go to any and you guys know these things already. Sunee Plaza is like a ghost town and Boyztown is close behind. We ate dinner at Dicks Café a few times in Jomtien Complex and the scene in the Complex is really hopping but the majority of boys appear to be str8 Laotian or Cambodian workers – many appearing to have some rough edges, which is not my cup of tea. I think it’s fair to surmise that Pattaya is imploding, the gay nightlife scene is dwindling (or, completely dwindled), the crime rate is escalating due to the lack of money flowing in making the corrupt population more desperate, and the majority of punters have transitioned to using apps such as Gayromeo, Hornet, Grindr, etc., for hooking up – as the neon lights at the beer bars and gogo bars are going out. The good news is that the availability of boys has not diminished at all just by observing the number of boys looking for friends and/or dates via social media apps, and the chances of hooking up with a nice (non-money sucking) guy are much higher IMO.
I signed another lease at my apartment in South Pattaya covering me till the end of the year – but this will be the last. I plan to sell my furniture and turn out the lights at some point during my next holiday and will be residing in Bang Saray during my holidays after that. Jay has a small house that was given to him by his parents in Buri Ram where we spend a little time when he’s peddling the dresses he’s made at these little shops around town which gives me a little time in the country which I like. We will be hanging our hats for most of the time in Bang Saray – making short trips to Pattaya to see friends and visit Big C…but, for the most part, I will be taking the next step in the transition to retirement and I can’t wait.
Cheers
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