12 Years in Pattaya..Then and Now...part 1

[Doug]

TNT Karaoke Bar.
Located one sois passed and parallel to Two Guys sois towards 3rd road. Now closed.
This was a late night place (open to 7 am) that catered mostly to Thai. Drinks were cheap. It had an open karaoke area and an indoor disco.
I enjoyed this place and went many times. Most nights my Sunee Thai friends would ask if I was going to TNT. On arrival my friends would get on their cell phones and soon a party was in full swing.
I remember one night a very cute boys was one of the hangers-on and I took a shine to him. He didn't speak English, seemed distant from the others but his eyes shone as he enjoyed himself. Using my hands I asked him if he wanted to go back to my room. He nodded and off we went. The night was lovely with a lot of cuddling and kissing. It wasn't until my next holiday that I was informed he was a deaf/mute. He became a fixture in Sunee. I think his name was Grok.
I wanted to post some photos but I forget how to use the img function.

[Gaybutton]

I wanted to post some photos but I forget how to use the img function.

See: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2489

[Geezer]

I hope you got your refund. Did you?

You know, I don't remember. If so, it's one of the few times anyone got a refund in Thailand. Once they get your money, it's over.

[windwalker]

And there was Y2K Bar (year 2000 ) which is when I first arrived in Thailand, located on Soi 17 not far from the ex-Colonial Bar.And TomYum later morphing to Cocktail Boys again located close to Colonial .

[Doug]

Thanks GB.
Here are the TNT photos (I hope) taken in 2009.







That last photo reminds me of one night at TNT when 3 straight gogo bar workers were sitting opposite me. Their friendship inspired me to write the following in my blog.

Three Friends
Across the table at TNT Bar, three Sunee boys captured my attention,
Which neither nearby friends nor the blast of karaoke could divert.
Their stunning youth was illustrated in their handsome faces, trim bodies,
Skin that shone with highlights and a sparkle of eye created by the joy of togetherness.
They joked and laughed and sang and swayed as one to the music.

They were friends but more - so much more.

They sat so close as if separation was taboo.
Even in wild musical gesticulation, hand and faces and bodies
Instinctually sought closeness with the others.
Fingers intertwined, the leg of one hung over the leg of the other,
A whisper in the ear meant a cheek to cheek caress and, constantly,
Hands touched the hot bodies of his friends.

This was not sexual.

None of these intimacies were planned or deliberate.
There was no thought to the actions.
There was no response expected from the other.
These were natural movements of obvious endearment.
This was friendship as I have never witnessed before.

As the party ended, I wanted to weep for my long-passed youth unfulfilled.
Weep for a time when feelings between a bed buddy and myself were unexpressed.
When such intimacy was secret, feared and ignored.
But that was long ago and this was now.

Tomorrow, those three gods of the openness of love and close friendship
Will still greet me warmly within the walls of Sunee.
And I will again be revitalized and renewed.

[Gaybutton]

For those who did frequent the beach, do any of these bring back memories?

"Hello massage"

"Bangka Polsht" (Bangkok Post)

And my all time favorite - "Ice cream ka"




And those who have been around long enough will certainly remember all the wonderful photos and reports from David Ferguson, better known as "David in Pattaya." I'm sorry for the poor photo quality, but it's the only photo of David I have.

Here are the TNT photos (I hope) taken in 2009.

I recognize some of the boys in those photos. Whenever I see photos of boys from years ago and recognize some of them, who have long since disappeared from the Pattaya scene, I can't help wondering what became of them. I hope some of them got what they came for - a long term sugar daddy farang, but I have a feeling if you want to find most of them, the place to look will be a rice farm.

[colmx]

Thanks for the pics Doug

Believe it or not TNT is still open (same location) - its now known as "Mum Stor" and is a late night Karaoke place in the same vein as the original
It turned into a disco for a while, but after being closed by the BIB (for being open at 9am!) it reinvented itself back to being a karaoke

BTW - last time I saw the boy in the white shirt he was working as a MoCy boy, its a pity he's not smiling in your pic as he has a lovely smile!

Some other interesting nostalgia pics here:
http://archive.guidemag.com/misc/imageb ... 6B&Year=21

[gerefan]

Remembering infamous threads posted years ago on S.G.T. ........ My favorite was posted by a guy that would take photos of various toilets in gay venues in Pattaya and it was called "Name That Hung Nam".

Thanks for appreciating my efforts! Hehe

[Undaunted]

Thanks Doug for those great pics and the moving commentary .... The guy in the middle is Ping on the right is Tom who now is a waiter at Oscars in Boystown...Ping was one of my first....Tom was a one time b/f of the Big guy at Gaythailand BTW both guys are in their early thirties now proving "Time waits for no man" or boys.

[Gaybutton]

Many restaurants have come and gone too. Here are some many might remember, but now are gone. With some of these the original restaurant is gone, but another opened at the same location. I'm only listing a few I can think of immediately. Feel free to add to the list:

Amor
Street Life
White Night (or was it White Knight? I don't remember)
Chow Box
China Garden
13 Coins
Chez Vicki
Paradise
Ritz Café
Athena
Coco's
Manhattans
Symphony (Hugh Millar)
Fattie's
Sam's
Ocean Café
Corner Bar (Thomas's great hamburgers and onion rings)
Niddy's Nook
Dolphin
Olé
Wi's
Village Chinky
Stroganoff 2
Little Mango
Po Pot
Mignon
Subs & Steaks (formerly Sunrise Tacos)
Alois
Aquarius
Purple Space Monkey
Le Bouchon
New Orleans