Phuket, Thailand
I am planning a trip home to Farangland. Chalerm always resents it when I am not taking him along. I tell him he will be bored after three hours in Farangland but since he has never been outside of Thailand he doesn’t believe that.
With perfectly bad timing Chalerm lobbyed me for a trip somewhere, a trip we should book and pay for now and go on when I return to Thailand. He had Phuket in mind.
The timing is bad because nothing empties my wallet like a trip to Farangland. I have to pay for the air ticket and when I come home everything is more expensive. So when I return to Thailand I am likely to be broke, while Chalerm is impatient and wants to go somewhere.
Seen from his perspective I owe him a trip after going on one myself. Cleverly Chalerm dug up a promotion offer from Air Asia. 99 baht return per person to Phuket. Even after the plus plus it was a reasonable 2991 baht for the two of us.
A trip for Chalerm should be short and glamourous. Two days in Phuket is the sort of trip he would like. It is too short for him to get bored but long enough to see the sights and take photos he can show his friends when he return to Bangkok. This gives him status points at school and in the office where he works.
Every other trip I have been on with Chalerm has been planned a maximum of a few hours before departure. He likes to get the idea, pack the bags and go. But Chalerm has wised up to the airline promotion schemes since I complained we can’t just go to the airport on impulse. If we do we have to pay much more for the tickets.
The trip I bought for us is in August, three months from now. Who said Thai boys can’t plan ahead?
Tags: gay boy, gay Thailand, Thai boy
May 26th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
Whether or not he becomes bored, I think a trip to Farangland would be good for Chalerm. What an amazing experience you had discovering Thailand. Can you imagine how Chalerm will feel to see a place so utterly different from where he has grown up? It’s exciting no matter how you spell it
Western countries and Asian countries have a lot of differences.
Taking Chalerm with you to Farangland can strengthen your relationship. You had good reasons for not going to the grandmother’s funeral, but the hurt is still felt by Chalerm evidenced by how it resurfaces during petty upsets. Sharing a trip to your homeland will reinforce your relationship and make Chalerm feel more like he belongs with you. Seeing where you grew up, can only make him understand you more.
-Whystler
May 26th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Take him to Singapore first. My BF was astonished that no one was cooking or living on the streets and then latter he got bored.
Just got back from Hong Kong, same-same. He was very happy to go and very-very happy to return to Bangkok.
May 26th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
I’ve come to the stage in my life when trips to beach resorts are not the turn on they used to be. In fact they are a major bore, (as it’s too much of “same same”). I was feeling guilty about it, as there are so many wonderful beaches and resorts in Thailand, and having obtained my retirement visa, I am for the first time able to visit places in Thailand instead of the mindless trips to wherever to fulfil the visa run. But i’m getting over the guilt, and will instead just save up to go again to great architecturally pleasing cities, such as Venice or Rome. I find this much more rewarding that lying on a beach being pampered silly.
May 26th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
On each of the short trips I have taken to other Asian countries with my bf, he’s had a great time, but there has been at least one day where he just decides to sleep all day in the hotel room.
I shudder at the thought of Thais (male or female) being taken to live in their farang boyfriend’s country, especially if the farang has to work, leaving the Thai alone.
Thais just don’t travel well.
And of course once they become bored, it’s your fault !
May 26th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Don’t think Chalerm will be bored in Farangland. He proberly will meet some other thais who will show him around in their mini thai world in Farangland. But proberly no fun for you to bring him, because it will be the same story in Farangland as in Thailand : He will leave you alone and have his own fun.
May 26th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
SF, honestly, why are you not taking him along? Can’t believe its the finances…are you afraid to introduce him to all your friends, relatives back in Farangland?
May 26th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
Hope you both enjoy the trip…but maybe, if Chalerm is interested in seeing “Farangland” you could bring him to Australia…Sydney is beautiful, and in summer has heaps of nice beaches, including Gay & Nude ones…I’d be happy to show you boys around! It might be interesting for Chalerm and not as expensive as Europe or America for you!
May 26th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
In Farangland there are no noodle stands, no scooter/taxis, no bumping ladyboys in training, no cute mat renters in city parks, no outside night markets, no military juntas, no water throwing. It’s quite boring. There are 7-11’s but I doubt that makes up for the excitement of Bangkok. High tea is nice though. Maybe Chalerm would take to that!
-Former Farang
May 26th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
Jason: partly because of the cost, partly because I don’t think he is ready for it. I “imported” my Thai x-bf to Farangland and introduced him to people, so that isn’t the problem.
May 26th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
So what happened to the x-bf ?
Anyway, Ch. is your bf now so why not honor
him as well ? Was the ex-bf experiment too deadly?
I know the problem but also know if you give
up it will never go away. It’s like eating and
having the cake…..So it eat it !
Erik
May 27th, 2007 at 2:30 am
I think some of you readers are being unfair to SF. He knows Chalerm better than the rest of us. One issue is a tourist visa. They take time to get. So having him go on this trip to farangland is probably out of the question anyway.
May 27th, 2007 at 10:25 am
In theory two boyfriends would enjoy travelling together. In this blog it seems SF nearly always travels by himself.
May 27th, 2007 at 10:32 am
So it is good to see that the two of you will be travelling together later this year. It is nice to see more of Thailand than just Bkk and pattaya.
May 27th, 2007 at 10:50 am
SF, will you be posting any articles on your blog while you are in Farangland, or are you going to take a well-deserved rest?
May 27th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Oops. I seem to have sounded too bad. Apologies for that.
You are a nice man, SF.
May 27th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Hi Silom,
I volunteer to take Charlerm to Phuket,i’m sure you’ll find on his return he’ll realise just how precious you really are to him. lol
May 28th, 2007 at 12:16 am
Jason: no problem
My Thai x-bf the rich boy was a monumental disaster and hence educational.
I usually travel without Chalerm because (a) he doesn’t have to go on visa runs but I do, (b) he has work or study six days a week while I can go whenever I want, (c) he doesn’t travel well but hopefully this is improving as he gets more mature
I will keep posting daily while in Farangland. If I have nothing useful to say at least the shirtless boys will run
May 29th, 2007 at 2:53 am
I suspect that saying Chalerm would be bored 3 hours after arriving in Farangland is optimistic. I suspect he’d be bored long before the plane touched down. If he’s never been outside Thailand he has no concept of what it’s like to be stuck in cattle class for 13 hours at 10km. So I’d suggest, when you think you’re both ready for it, that you take him on a training run. My suggestion would be a train trip down to Penang or KL. That’s not too expensive, and not as confining as a plane ride of the same length, but just as boring (which is the point). The only way he’ll ever learn there’s no place like home is if you get him away from his pink slippers for a while.
May 29th, 2007 at 3:27 am
Wise words, SameSame.
Before I take him to Farangland he should progress past the stage where he demand we cut the trip short and return home right away, as he likes to do on the first day when we go on trips in Thailand.
May 29th, 2007 at 10:24 pm
Thanks, SF. I like your writing very much and thats the reason my bf gives me the looks when he finds me on your website…the shirtless boys only make life more difficult for me…hehehe…but never mind…