Gay Boy Thailand

The boyfriend and I are in Patong, Phuket.

People have asked me why I don’t take Chalerm on more trips. This is because he doesn’t travel well. On earlier trips, like the one to Chiang Mai, he has behaved like a small kid. Travel has made him disoriented, tired and grumpy. When we had arrived in Chiang Mai and checked into the Montri Hotel he declared he didn’t like Chiang Mai and demanded we return home.

When we were to spend a weekend in Pattaya once we arrived Friday evening. At 4am the next morning Chalerm was sleepless and bored and we took the first bus back to Bangkok at 5.20am.

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This is Chalerm’s 2nd time flying. I could tell he was still a newbie when Air Asia announced a 20 minute delayed departure and Chalerm thought this sort of thing should not happen.

But Chalerm is older now. He is almost 24. It looks like he handles the Phuket trip better.

He watched and wondered as the pilot tested the flaps before take-of. I pointed out Laem Chaban port and Pattaya as we flew south over the Gulf of Siam. Chalerm asked if the water was a river or the sea.

- Why no seat number? asked Chalerm.
- Because it is a cheap airline.
- Why no food?
- Because it is a cheap airline.
- Why no magazine?
- Because it is a cheap airline.
- Why no TV?
- Guess.

Chalerm compared with his first air trip, which was on THAI. But that had been 4500 baht. Now we flew a similar distance for 1500.
- Is same go bus, said Chalerm.

An Arab man with four wives dressed in all black and about twenty children was on the plane. I joked with Chalerm that I would like to have that too. Chalerm said I could if I wanted. Then he fell asleep with his head on my shoulder.

—

Phuket airport was small. A jumbo jet stood there but the airport still looked provincial. They had hotel touts in arrivals and I got to snap “mai aw” at them. That always makes my day.

We paid 550 baht for a taxi to Patong. I belived it was 15km to Patong but it had to be longer. The driver took a “short cut”. This involved driving across the island on a dirt road which the monsoon rain had washed out, leaving big holes in it. I wondered if we would be taken to some remote spot and robbed, but decided that only happens in movies. We drove at crawl speed across the bumps and when it was over everyone had to count their kidneys.

The driver told us we were passing a “farang village”. The houses were 10 million baht each, he said. They had no sea view. I told Chalerm we could build a house for 1/10 of the price in his village, and get a better view too.

—

After ariving at the hotel (which was running 30% full since it was a busy weekend) we went to eat. Chalerm and I calculated that everything was twice the price in Patong. Our modest meal with Thai dishes came to 700 baht. Tuk-tuks asked 150 baht just to go around the corner. The taxi driver had ben full of ideas for trips we could go on, but Chalerm said it was too expensive.

The restaurant had been under water when the 2004 tsunami struck. There is a sign here saying “Tsunami Evacuation Route. 300 m”.

Our room is on the 3rd floor, I am pleased to say.

—

First impression is that Beach Road, Patong looks a lot like Beach Road, Pattaya. But the tone is easier here and the touts not as agressive. I don’t see as many weirdo farangs as in Pattaya. I don’t see as many hookers either.

Handsome young men from Australia walk around shirtless. They are straight. Cute Swedish boys with long blond hair walk around too. They are also straight.

—

Chalerm was exhausted and went back to the hotel at 8pm to freshen up. He did not come back, which means he fell asleep in the room.

I gave him a thousand baht as extra pocket money. I think he will spend it on clothes rather than tours.

Now I am off to see what sin and sleaze there might be in Paradise Complex, the gay quarter.