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I have no property in Thailand now. I was last there for a month in August 2022. I loved the warmth and the food of course but I quickly lost interest in the people or what they were doing and rather counted the dates until my return flight. I was intending to look at a new place, a couple of places actually. There is a very beautiful house and land outside Hua Hin which reminds me of Spain with the view of the mountains and memories of a happier life. In a relative sense the house is not hugely expensive and is certainly more than I would ever require but I feel it would be a prison of sorts and I would either have to fill it with a partner I don't have or suffer the isolation alone. Or at least until Somchai decided he'd rather have what I have. Built it and they will come or so the saying goes but in Thailand, setting up a life for a family without first having that family can mean poor decisions swiftly follow. I know I could get lucky and find someone who swapped their time and affection for security and so forth and I am not delusional to think that is not the same the world over but it isn't enough to put me into house ownership once again. So I read this latest saga about being able to buy land if you do this or do that or qualify this way or that and I turn the page because I have heard it all before. Same same but different the locals say, or at least they used to.

Slow Horses [2022 TV Series] Follows a team of British intelligence agents who serve as a dumping ground department of MI5 due to their career-ending mistakes under a leader with a penchant for living like a slob and breaking wind. Entertaining spy action drama series, now with two seasons complete and a third on the way, based on the Slough House novels, top acting, witty dialogue, Oldman steals every scene. Worth seeing.

Took him to Ayuttaya last time and we also drove to Hellfire Pass River Kwai might be an option. I remember having a night in Kho San with you and if my memory is correct I paid for a tattoo. But got rewarded later 😜

January 1, 2023 Greetings Gentlemen, Happy New Year! and Welcome to The Morning After 2023! Hope your heads are not throbbing too badly - as mine usually was! If you need a Tylenol #3 and/or icepack it is understandable and excusable. Also, I hope you all got a nice warm stocking-stuffer for Christmas, as I did. Before I continue the bar crawl report, I want to mention a couple of things that are significant which I’ve not yet addressed (much). The first Biggy, is pricing for the BG’s and barfines. Second up, is what I’ll call the Japanese Invasion. A better name might be Japanese-Asian-Inflation-Invasion, but that’s too long. So, I’ll shorten it to the former with the understanding it is largely made up of Japanese, but also includes other non-Thai Asians. As brethren punters, I might also refer to this group affectionately as Tokyo Joes or the Rising Sun. Tokyo Joes vs BG prices, these two are inextricably linked! Since my arrival at the beginning of the month, I’ve been noticing Japanese restaurants and travel agencies scattered throughout the Nana area. When I last visited LOS, twelve years ago, I don’t recall these businesses being there. I can recall in years past, the late-night Thermae crowd regularly included a collection of traveling Asian businessmen. They would invariably be seated at the far end of the bar area. The rest of the punters dreaded these guys as they were often thought to be overly generous with the girls. Of course the girls follow the money, which often resulted in us cheap-charlie’s being ignored, that is unless we coughed up enough $$$ to once again show up as a blip on BG radar. Gentlemen, that’s about what we have in the bars right now, only on a much larger scale! It doesn’t matter if you are in Nanaplaza, Cowboy, Patpong or even Thermae the Japanese invasion dominates, they set the prices and they are the ones you can point to for the high prices. It’s simple; they are willing to pay these inflated prices. Nana and Cowboy are flooded with these guys. Mostly they are younger, in groups of 2-6. Sometimes they are multi-generation with junior (in his 20’s), dad and grandpa. All together in the go-go’s, swilling wagon loads of beer, having lots of fun and of course barfining the girls. Often they can be seen literally throwing fistfuls of cash at the girls on stage! This kind of behavior makes life tough on the rest of us… Just a few nights ago I was in Tilac bar on Cowboy. I found the barfine had increased to 1300. A week or two ago I believe it was 800. Would you guys pay a barfine of this lofty amount or go someplace else? Where else? Nanaplaza? Forget it! Same-Same! To make a point, with little effort you can get laid for 1200 or maybe even a 1000 baht using freelancers in and around beer-bars up and down Sukhumvit and around Nana (many LB’s watch-out). Once these freelancers enter Thermae, they double their asking price - since the place is full of Tokyo Joes who will most likely pony-up. When I mentioned here, that a KC1 stunner would cost you maybe 3500B a couple of you growled, grunted and spoke up. From down under Mr my-penis-is-hungry pointed out, he could nail a stunner in OZ for same or less (BTW, is there still an old codger called Paul_C alive and kicking down there in Kangaroo-land??). 3500B is currently about 100 U$ bucks. Recall that this price was for top-shelf-tail not your average bargirl. In the US, I very much doubt you’d get a girl of this quality for $100, but for $200 you might… Bottom line is, when it costs the same or more for pun-tang in LOS compared to your home country, where is the value? It would seem prices are currently so high they may be unsustainable. I sure hope so! Nuff said. Ok, let’s continue on with the bar prowl. I believe I left off with Patpong. But, at the risk of being shot, I’d like to briefly (I promise) return and add something related to the above. You may recall I mentioned Pink Panther had a very nice gaggle of girls. On the night I was there I would rate it second, right behind KC1, with KC2 being third. I suspect KC2 may have been wiped out earlier that night as a result of the Tokyo Joes barfining most of the girls there – as so few were present. I would also like to add that Pink Panther is the only BKK go-go that I visited which was free of Tokyo Joes (didn’t see a one). Perhaps the consensus among the Japanese invasion is it’s just another gay bar on patpong 2, and they haven’t found it yet? Don’t know. As far as prices go, I would be willing to bet PP prices are the same as the KC bars, and in fact, Pink Panther may be a Kings Group bar – I don’t know, but I now suspect as much because of the quality and quantity of the girls there. Ok, Ok, enough already, even I have had my fill of the ‘pong for now. Moving on, how about some daytime action for a change? What’s available in the Nana area during the daytime hours nowadays? Aside from the usual massage girls and beer bars, not much. Eden Club, I understand is gone, and to my knowledge there has never been a go-go bar in BKK open during the daytime. Probably there was during the Vietnam War era, but that was before my time (student-deferment). Since I’ve never really been a massage parlor kind of guy, and for that matter, I’ve never frequented the beer bars to any real extent either. However, these are preferences not rules so sometimes I make exceptions. And, one of these exceptions would have to be the BeerGarden located on Sukhumvit Soi 7. For newbie’s this is not just another beer bar as it has some notoriety amongst punters. Been there longtime, you could even say it is something of an historic landmark, not quite the status of Thermae but similar. In some respects you could even say BG7 is a daytime version of the Thermae, since they are both legendary freelance pickup joints. And damn good ones too! At least they were historically. You know, when visiting establishments you’ve frequented over the years, that are associated with many pleasant memories of the past, it’s sometimes difficult to see them without looking thru rose-coloured glasses… BG7 is such a place for me. I have taken a number of quality freelancers from this bar in past afternoons, occasionally extending on into the early evening hours as well. I can recall attending my first ASFO Convention meeting here. That would have been December 1999, I believe. That one had a particularly large attendance, as I recall. Surely, some of you fellas are old enough to recall the Y2K scare. All hype, it turned out to be the biggest flop since Evel Knievel jumped the snake river canyon, as the sky did not fall as was predicted by all the experts. This Convention however was only a warm-up to the New Year’s Eve bash that followed a week or two later. On this evening as it turned out, I nearly missed the convention antics altogether even though I had gotten there a little early. Seems there was only one attendee present when I arrived. I want to say it was a Mr. Oaktoad, who is a very fine gentleman indeed, but I can’t recall for sure. Anyway, while waiting for the others I spied a couple of freelancers sitting alone, one of which looked good enough to die for! So, I managed to join these two, again while I waited for the arrivals – none of which I had met. I guess I became enchanted with said beauty-queen as time passed and I temporally forgot why I was there… Suddenly, there was an eruption (not from below) and maybe a dozen or more conventioneers stood up, came to attention, and started for the exit. Realizing I had missed out on becoming acquainted with these Gents, I had to awkwardly confront their apparent leader and make a desperate plea they not leave me behind, while I sorted out the love of my life – as there was no-way I was gonna leave this unexpected prize behind for someone else! Fortunately, the fellow I had appealed to turned out to be none other than a Mr. Sarasin, who just happened to be the organizer of the conventions and also led the bar crawls that always followed. Meeting this rotating crew of the very most seasoned punters certainly changed my life. As luck would have it, ms-beauty-queen had taken a liking to me, so we said goodbye to her friend, and I walked her out on my arm to my awaiting new friends… I felt like Donald Trump with suitable arm-piece! What a great way to start an evening outing in Bangkok! Nice story and it did have a happy ending, she even sent me a postcard, but that was then and what remains of BG7 today? As I said, I arrived early December and one of the first places I visited was BG7. The gated entrance was chained and locked down. It was apparent the bar had been closed for a very long time. Maybe ten days later, I was walking past Soi 7 again when I glanced down BG7 way, I thought I saw someone enter. Also, I noticed a sign out-front that had not been there previously. Sure enough, they were now open – great I thought. Upon entry, I figured I’d see the same old crowded bar-room (rose lenses again). Not exactly, there were only two freelancers present (no one else) and they most certainly had seen the better side of 40. These two morbid mascots I deduced were probably frightening off business! I continued to check-back on the place at different times in the afternoon and on different days, but I never did enter for a dink. In fact, I think I saw the same two old vamps again, and again, but never more than a few customers, maybe half a dozen at most. I really hope the place eventually springs back to life. There are still plenty of freelancers around Nana and they need a better place to work during the day. Problem is, if it ever does become popular again it will most surely be taken over by the Tokyo Joes with the same pricy results. There is still hope though – read on… Well, BG7 was a bust. It’s still daylight so let’s pay a visit to yet another hold-out and one of my old favorites. Lolita’s is located within a bulls roar of NEP, but if you’ve never been there it can be tricky to find. It is somewhat hidden in a special, perfect location. The easiest way to find it is to go down Soi 8 and take a right at what I believe is the first or second opportunity, which is an alley that extends maybe 50 yards into a dead-end. All the way down on the left, at the end you’ll see the neon Lolita’s sign. I often wear a mask while I’m in public places, particularly so when I’m visiting the entertainment venues. Not that they do any good against fighting covid critters, as the filter mesh is far too porous to trap a virus. No, it’s to conceal my face. It’s not that I’m the Elephant man or Dillinger either; I’ll come back to this later but for now, I also turn off my cell phone… Back to Lolita’s, there is another entrance, but it’s only known to Thais and the most hardened of punters… This ‘dead-end’ is not really a dead-end as it has a hidden passageway. It can be accessed on foot only, from Soi 6 on the other side. This entrance/exit can be very useful. To find it coming from Soi 6, (wrong way) go all the way down to the end, where you can go left or right only. Right will take you way down to Soi 4 Nana, left, maybe 15 yards looks like yet another dead-end, and this is it! Once you get close enough you’ll see the passage. If you enter from the Soi 6 side you can make a quick right and disappear into Lolita’s unobserved… Don’t run as you might trip over a service girl or four sitting outside. Haha! This is where your trusty protective mask comes in… Do I need explain?? Entry is not nearly as awful as exiting, as you are faced with that terrible walk of shame… However, once again, if you mask-up you can make an exit like Zorro – that is, dart out the door, hang a quick left, then bolt through the hidden passageway and vanish into the abyss! I told you it’s in a perfect location! Best of all, I didn’t see a single Tokyo Joe there on any of my visits; I guess that’s why the price is still 800 baht. hush-hush. End of part three. Part four (coming) – Short-Time continues his bar crawl with NEP, Cowboy, Thermae and more…

KS Who would you prefer a member of the Shinawatra Clan or General Prayut?

What began in late October as a raid on a Bangkok night entertainment venue operating beyond the legal hours has now grown into one of the country's biggest corruption scandals. At the centre is Chinese... Full Article

Former politician and massage parlour tycoon Chuvit Kamolvisit has posed a string of questions over the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) commissioner’s decision to set up a fact-finding committee to probe his own office while a multitude of other cases remain unsolved. In a post on Mr Chuvit's Facebook page on Saturday, he questioned the need for the probe and accused Pol Lt Gen Thiti Saengsawang of not... Full Article So rather than investigate the alledged corruption they investigate the whistleblower Chuvit really has them rattled.

Trump backs McCarthy for House Speaker. But MAGA Republicans--his own people--do not. Trump is becoming irrelevant politically. He will likely be going to jail soon, along with many of his associates.

Am I ever being serious?

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery [2022] Weirdly speaking Southern detective Benoit Blanc travels to Greece for his latest case. Five long-time friends are invited to the Greek island home of a billionaire. The main event is a murder weekend game with said billionaire to be the victim but really, they all have reasons to kill him. This is overpaid Hollywood A-listers hamming it up in somewhat entertaining family fodder with more to doubtless come unfortunately.

All Quiet on the Western Front [2022] A young German soldier's terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I. A remake of the classic story of the futility of war, no heroics just victims, now more timely than ever again, a powerful piece of cinematography.

Gee bust this has only been posted a few times elsewhere here ya wombat

Detectorists [2014 TV series] The lives of two eccentric metal detectorists, who spend their days plodding along ploughed tracks and open fields, hoping to disturb the tedium by unearthing the fortune of a lifetime. This treasure of a TV comedy drama series previously ended with season 3 back in 2017, but a recent TV movie length episode added to the portfolio at the end of 2022 is also not to be missed.

One for Cav

A happy few minutes of my life, laughter, to start the new year... https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/davidmack/dumb-trump-moments

The last (6th) episode is so well crafted, I'm salivating for (I hear) the 3rd and 4th series' Gary Oldman, understated but brilliant!

The Confession [2022 TV Limited Series] Docuseries examining the mysterious disappearance of British housewife Patricia Hall from her small Yorkshire town and the polices devious attempts to get a confession. Two part series done with real characters and actors is an intriguing true story of how one guy possibly got away with murder, or did he?

I coulda set my cap for Thailand, my ex-wife was willing to make the required representations with family, land and village etc. to get me some sort of marriage residence. But the constant reports of going cap in hand, to the authorities to report and give them buckets of photocopies, of stuff they already have, put me off. Fate smiled on me and pushed me out into the road, and thence into glare of the headlights, of MLG who, for some reason, reciprocated my feelings. As it is, there is a possibility of a marriage visa in Laos and with MLG's government connections, it should be relatively easy, a chore, but a smooth one. However, USD600 gets you a work visa with an employer for a year and you can come and go like a butterfly, so the delights and attractions of LOS are but a train, bus, or drive, from Laos. Then $600 next year and so on. So yes, if I had a million dollars I'd not only live in Laos, but have a beach shack in Cambodia or Burma. 2 more years and I'll be Laos permanently-ish. MLG has made great strides in getting the house tiled, 'lectricted and so on. She's back tomorrow.

Being There I've been waiting for years to re-watch this Just brilliant Great movie Stand out cast I'd love to have fucked Shirley MacLaine in her prime, or after

T minus two months AND COUNTING. Crazy Farang 67th Birthday Party is currently GO. Airline and hotel reservations are in place. Airline is confirmed and ticketed. I just put the hotel reservation in, after a quick phone call halfway around the planet to check on a room issue. Hotel said "No problem, just note it on the reservation.")

Noce to see you UG - like you I was originally on ASFO I believe it's still going with 2 posts a month from Lonewolf ST - PLEASE Some more!!!!!

RIP is rest in Peace, not Rape, Incest ands Pedophilia.