Does a'm mean american?--and what does RP mean? Odd that he never heard of Babylon. Also, there are a lot of other saunas--I wonder if he ever heard of any saunas? And what does "like minded" companions mean? He has trouble meeting other farangs who are looking for Thai? Odd dude . . .

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1.- Above-mentioned;
2.- Republic of the Philipines;
3.- Agreed;
4.- I do not know as he did not elaborate - 'like minded.' were the words used by him.

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Thanks for the update, Sextile and Wantasian. I have been getting my Thai fun during short weekend jaunts to Hatyai for the last few years and haven't had the chance to come north for a long time now.

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Urepentantly irrascible old fart!

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-- Khun Taoboxer,
- Thanks for your kind ack..
- As you visit HAT YAI then you'll be just the man to give us all an up-date on the scene there, if you would be so good?

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-- Y'day., (01st.), a SGPean./Ch. acquaintance and I had tea together in the EREWAN TEA-ROOMS.
- Arriving early, approx. 15.oo.hrs., gave me an opportunity to cruise-around BIG C - R'DAMRI..
- Lttle to report; although in one hawng nahm a couple of attractive young men - but not in the eye-candy league - were making eyes at eachother and then left together to go whithersoever.
- Little signs of either Sec. Gds. or of janitrices at that time.

-- I ret'd. later on, roughly 17.30.hrs., quite quiet & with Ntg. To Rpt..
- Sec. Gds. & janitresses MORE in evidence.

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-- After my 2nd. visit to BIG C - R'DAMRI. I went to LUMPINI PK., wch. I've not visited for a coon's age; my last visit was so long ago that on this visit I was able to note how the grass was re-growing on most of the olde & familiar trails!
- V. few people jogging.
- However, walking around I chanced to meet a student, who invited me to sit & to talk with him: 22YO. from BURI RAM, studying at R'HAENG. UNI..
- To cut-short a long story he accompanied me back to my app't.; but that's a story that I'll tell you all some other time! ('Spoil-sport, ain't he?' - Printer's devil.),.

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Tell, tell. I've heard that guys from Buriram are the best endowed in the kingdom. Is it true?

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I haven't gone cruising in Hatyai for a long time now, or tried out any of the bars there, as I have mainly found my hookups from various gay dating sites like GayRomeo and Slave4Masters (a Recon site) - and found only guys wo are genuinely in search of fun and friendship. I have never hooked up with a Hatyai or Songkhla moneyboy on the internet yet.

The reason I haven't been looking in any of the gay bars there is that quite simply, none of the ones I used to frequent are around any more. Four years ago, after a frustrating 45 minutes walking around the 2 main streets that make up the town centre, I was informed that their new governor had shifted all the bars to a special red light district some distance away. As I had no idea where it was or how to get there, I decided not to take any chances and went cruising at the train station (a long time last gasp haunt of mine - gay guys on the left through the platform gate near the overhead bridge, gatoeys on the right in the station itself - all after 10.30pm when Robinsons closes). But since then I have made it a point to hook up only via the internet before I left Penang.

I can tell you about the town, however. The situation is quite peaceful in spite of what the newspapers say about bombings in the south - they're talking about the east coast states, while Hatyai is in Songkhla state and towards the west coast. The last bombing in Hatyai was a few years ago and the last "trouble" there was the rail strike during the Redshirt/Yellowshirt protests last year.

Things are expensive by my standards - almost like Bangkok and occasionally more expensive even. I have never paid more than 40 Baht for rice, veggies and meat during lunch at a Bangkok street vendor or coffeeshop but 50 or even 90Baht is closer to what I usually pay for the same amount in Hatyai.

The town is noisy, busy and full of traffic but the people are friendly and you can actually see a few farang families with kids walking around before they head off to Phuket (even more expensive now, from what my friends tell me).

I won't talk about shopping as Bangkok has better variety and more up-to-date selections or sightseeing as any internet search will turn up all you need to know - hatyai shops close by 9pm nowdays anyway, but I will say that hotels are much cheaper than Bangkok, though a 5-star Hatyai hotel is not in the same class as a 3 or 4-star one in Bangkok. Still, if you're not fussy and a clean, comfortable room with air-conditioning and attached bathroom (about 900 Baht) is all you need, then you won't be disappointed. No joiner fees that I know of either except at the JB Hotel. The funny thing is that hotel food is much cheaper in Hatyai than in Bangkok, for some reason.

I hope this helps if any of you are planning to come south.

Tao

__________________
Urepentantly irrascible old fart!

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